Since its launch last December, Marvel Rivals has maintained a steady hold on its success, yet developer NetEase isn’t taking it easy just yet. They’ve just unveiled Marvel Rivals Season 2: Hellfire Gala, as detailed in their Dev Diary breakdown. The update promises to rejuvenate the game with new team-up abilities and a commitment to introduce a fresh playable hero every month starting from Season 3.
Along with the Dev Diary, a cinematic trailer has been released, flaunting the Hellfire Gala theme. As Marvel heroes unite to honor Mutant culture on Krakoa, a sneak peek of new battle pass skins has been revealed. Emma Frost and Ultron are set to join as the new playable characters in Season 2. However, the trailer conceals another revelation that could significantly impact Marvel Rivals’ storyline moving forward.
Toward the end of the Season 2 trailer, just as Ultron crashes the extravagant gala, viewers catch a glimpse of several powerful attendees. Notably, Magneto in his House of M-inspired attire stands alongside his daughter Scarlet Witch at the forefront. Meanwhile, Wolverine, donning his undercover Patch ensemble, casually leans against a decorative pillar.
On the left, Loki, dressed in his Presidential Attire, converses with a mysterious and imposing figure—Doom 2099, one of the game’s main antagonists. This hints at potential future developments for Marvel Rivals.
To grasp the implications of this setup for the game’s future, it’s vital to recap its narrative so far. The game begins with Doom and his 2099 version tampering with time and space, creating the Timestream Entanglement, which merges various timelines and dimensions.
In one such dimension, Odin is in his hibernative Odinsleep, and Loki seizes this window to wrest control from his brother Thor. Enlisting Hela’s aid, he banishes Thor to another realm and claims Yggsgard’s throne. Loki discovers that Chronovium, a substance infused into the sap of the Yggdrasil tree due to the Timestream Entanglement, grants him a glimpse into the future.
During Season 1, Doom supplies Chronovium to Dracula, who uses it alongside the Darkhold to attempt a fleeting takeover of New York. The trailer hints that in Season 2, Ultron will aim to instigate his “Age of Ultron,” planning to obliterate both humans and mutants in favor of AI creations. It’s plausible that one of the Dooms aids Ultron, using this chaos as a diversion to command the Timestream Entanglement.
Loki seems a likely candidate as Doom’s next ally, and their hinted collaboration at the Hellfire Gala could set the stage for a future season where Loki gains new powers and wreaks more havoc on Yggsgard. This twist could also introduce Valkyrie and Angela, two characters rumored to join Marvel Rivals for some months now.
Interestingly, it’s been revealed that each Marvel Rivals season will now span just two months instead of three. Thus, it’s no surprise that NetEase is already dropping hints about what’s to come, as new seasons will roll out more frequently.
