The developers of Marvel Rivals have unveiled an extensive update detailing Season 1, titled Eternal Nightfalls, set to launch on January 10. This update introduces a range of exciting new content, including battle pass details, balance changes, new maps, gameplay features, and updates to competitive modes. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the key announcements.
Season 1 Highlights: Eternal Nightfalls
Season 1 will span three months and feature two phases, each lasting 6-7 weeks. In the first half, players can expect:
- New Characters: Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman join the roster, each with unique abilities. Mr. Fantastic’s elastic powers promise dynamic gameplay, while the Invisible Woman provides psionic shields for allies.
- New Maps:
- Convoy Map – Empire of Eternal Night (Midtown): Players must escort the Fantastic Four’s mechanical assistant through key locations in New York. This map includes recursive destruction mechanics, allowing players to rewind and reshape the environment.
- Sanctum Sanctorum: A reality-bending map for 8-12 players featuring dynamic combat and omnipresent portals. The new “Doom Match” mode on this map is a free-for-all competition where only the top 50% of players emerge victorious.
The narrative centers on Dracula seizing control of New York using the dark C’s power. Players will unite science and magic to restore order, with the storyline unfolding across the season as part of a unified saga.
Battle Pass Details
The new battle pass offers two tiers: standard and luxury. The luxury pass delivers double the content compared to Season Zero, including:
- 10 Exclusive Skins: Featuring characters like Loki, Wolverine, and Scarlet Witch.
- Rewards: 600 LCE and 600 units upon completion.
Players who missed completing the Season Zero pass can recover certain tokens under specific conditions.
Balancing Updates and Hero Adjustments
The developers emphasized their commitment to balance and optimization:
- Nerfs: Adjustments for Hela and Hawkeye reduce their power to provide a fairer experience for ranged heroes.
- Buffs:
- Wolverine and Storm receive synergy-focused buffs to enhance team dynamics.
- Cloak and Dagger’s viability improves with unspecified enhancements.
- Mobility Enhancements: Captain America and Venom gain increased mobility for better engagement in battles.
- Jeff Rework: The land shark’s ultimate ability now includes clearer early signals, addressing issues in lower-ranked matches.
Competitive Mode and New Ranks
Competitive play receives significant updates:
- Rank Adjustments: Players drop seven divisions at the start of Season 1 to balance rankings. For instance, Platinum 1 players will start at Silver 2.
- New Rank: “Celestial” bridges the gap between Grandmaster and Eternity, creating additional tiers for better progression.
- Stat Tracking: New systems will provide insights into hero pick rates, win rates, and bans.
Upcoming Features and Twitch Drops
Players can look forward to several new features, including:
- High Frame Rate Settings: Optimized for competitive gameplay.
- Mouse Acceleration Settings: For greater control.
- Streamer Mode: Designed to enhance the streaming experience for content creators.
Additionally, Twitch Drops return from January 10 to 25, offering rewards like sprays, banners, and exclusive skins such as the “Will of Galacta” costume for Hela. Watching any Marvel Rivals streamer for up to four hours will unlock these rewards.
The second phase of Season 1 will introduce additional characters and content, including The Thing and Human Torch, arriving in approximately six weeks. By the season’s end, the roster will expand to 37 characters, doubling the playable content from previous updates.
