The upcoming hero shooter, Marvel Rivals releases on December 6, 2024 worldwide. This is the final, retail version of the game and not one of its many prior beta test phases. Despite adopting a free to play approach, Marvel Rivals does come with a host of microtransactions.
You can find a breakdown of the ‘F2P-ness’ of this particular game, along with its expected monetization plans.
Is Marvel Rivals free to play?
Yes, Marvel Rivals will release as a free to play title for the PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
The title is much akin to other hero shooters on the market, the most notable being Overwatch. Players assemble into two teams and fulfil objectives while attempting to thwart the opposing group in the process.
The game simply mandates a stable internet connection, and some modest gaming hardware in order to be able to download and play it. Furthermore, the developers have confirmed that every character will be entirely free to unlock during launch and beyond, in an official blog post.
This move should greatly please fans, as paywalling characters is something that is often frowned upon by the gaming community.
Marvel Rivals will be supported via multiple in-game purchases or microtransactions
However, this is not to say that Marvel Rivals will be entirely free of microtransactions. The game is almost certain to contain in-game purchases such as a Season Pass and some form of loot boxes – given its nature as a live service title.
That’s not to say it’s a bad thing entirely – plenty of popular, well regarded games employ microtransactions in them. The key here is balance, and it is hoped that Marvel Rivals will find a way to release in-game purchases that are either cosmetic only and/or offer no additional advantages in gameplay when equipped.
