Marvel Rivals Celebrates First Anniversary with Major Update

Disney shared some news and recapped accolades for Marvel’s popular free-to-play superhero video game.

Marvel Rivals First Anniversary

Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play team-based shooter developed by NetEase, and the game celebrates its first anniversary with a major content update.

Since launch, the game has grown rapidly, reaching 40 million players and building a Discord community of more than 4.1 million members. The game has also earned industry recognition, including various high-profile nominations at major events such as The Game Awards and the D.I.C.E. Awards.

A key driver of the game’s popularity is its expanding roster and consistent content cadence. With 45 playable heroes and a new character introduced each month, Marvel Rivals continues to deepen its gameplay variety.

Season 6, titled “Night at the Museum,” launched on January 16, 2026, and is described as the game’s largest update to date. The season introduces a new map and adds Deadpool to the playable lineup, further broadening the Marvel universe represented in the game.

Promotional image for Marvel Rivals season 6 featuring the introduction of Deadpool

Deadpool’s addition to the roster of Marvel Rivals playable heroes coincides with major media releases related to the character and expanding integration into other Disney properties. As we reported last fall, there is speculation that Deadpool will make his next cinematic appearance in Avengers: Doomsday. The “merc’ with a mouth” also celebrated the tenth anniversary of his titular 2016 film around the same time as his jump to Marvel Rivals.

Looking ahead, Disney also touched on the launch of the Marvel Rivals Professional League in 2026, signaling a formal expansion into e-sports with regional structures and partnered teams.

The game remains free-to-play across PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, and the official launcher), PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with cross-play support.

Have you played Marvel Rivals, and if so, who was your favorite hero to play? Let us know on social media!

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