Dev Talk Vol.05 | Our Journey from Alpha to Beta

Hey Players, Dev Team here! We've been absolutely blown away by the incredible passion the Marvel Rivals community showed during the Closed Alpha testing phase. The flood of insights and feedback from our players has been absolutely astonishing, driving us to strive for a game experience that truly resonates with our fans. The Alpha was just the first step in our journey with the Marvel Rivals community. As much as we cherish this initial encounter, our ultimate goal is to forge lasting bonds that rival those of the Super Heroes themselves. As we press forward, our primary focus has been on crafting content for the upcoming Closed Beta Test (CBT) and ensuring its timely completion. Now, let's get into all the new content that awaits in the CBT!

Let's start with the numbers. The player base for this CBT will be over five times larger than that of the Alpha test! We're expanding our server reach to include North America, Europe, and Asia, giving players the freedom to choose their preferred server for matchmaking battles. Opting for the server with the lowest latency will ensure the best gaming experience, but players can also team-up with friends globally with cross-region gameplay - though we ask players to bear in mind that server latency may impact the experience. The CBT will see server upgrades to 60-tick rate, delivering an even mightier gaming experience for everyone. Additionally, the test will offer text support for nine languages to cater to a diverse global audience: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and Traditional Chinese.

For new characters being introduced in the upcoming CBT, the vicious Venom (Vanguard) and astounding Adam Warlock (Strategist) are set to join the ranks of Marvel Rivals, bringing their unique powers into the fray. Venom, an alien monster with unparalleled mobility, will strike fear into the enemy's backline, especially when paired with Hulk, creating a formidable duo. On the other hand, Adam Warlock is an unparalleled tactician, boasting formidable offensive capabilities and the ability to link with allies to split their incoming damage, and even resurrect fallen teammates with his ultimate ability.

With Venom and Adam's arrival, two dynamic new Team-Up Abilities are on the horizon: "Symbiote Bond" with Venom, Spider-Man, and Peni Parker, as well as the "Guardian Revival" featuring Adam Warlock, Star-Lord, and Mantis. We believe that these will allow even more heroes will rise to glory and showcase their true potential. Be sure to check out the previous Dev Talks for a full list of playable characters as well as other insights into our development process!

Now, get ready to swing into action on the newest map, Tokyo 2099: Spider-Islands. The thrilling continuation of the Spider-Zero and Master Weaver saga awaits you in this epic new setting. But that's not all-we've been working on what we like to call our "Thematic Environmental Destruction" feature which, for this map, features "Web Destruction" which helps bring this Marvel world to life. Spider-Zero and Peni Parker have unleashed a slew of Spider-Bots to help stop destruction it its tracks, keeping certain parts of structures in place before collapsing. This exciting addition will also be implemented in the Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya map, so be sure to dive into the action and let us know your thoughts!

We've also heard the waves of UI feedback from our players, so in this CBT, we've amped up the experience compared to the Alpha test. Visual effects, sound effects, HUD, and more have all been enhanced. Our primary focus has been on improving hit and impact feedback, ensuring you always know the direction of danger, and enhancing the visibility of defeat notifications. 

Now, let's talk about gameplay. Balance is always a priority, so we've fine-tuned and balanced the heroes' powers, ensuring that each hero can shine and bring their unique style to the battlefield. Additionally, to intensify the competitive fray, we're unleashing a unique Cosmic Selection (pick/ban) system, where Galacta will grant favor or banish certain characters in the upper tiers of ranked play and for special events. First, players can secure their own team's favorite Super Heroes and Villains, then they can outmaneuver opponents by strategically banning select. This feature is currently still in development and more details will be released later, but we hope this gives players the opportunity to play their favorite hero while also feeling the competitive edge.

The CBT also introduces the Past Lives (KO Cam) system - giving players a front-row seat to see how their hero met their match. Plus, we've honed the focus selection for game controllers, making it a snap to navigate the interface and dominate in battle.

But that's not all! We're breaking boundaries with cross-platform play and adding multi-platform friend functionality in the CBT. Whether you're on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC, unite with your friends or clash with your rivals in epic battles across the Multiverse. In non-ranked modes, crossplay can be freely activated or deactivated. To ensure a fair and balanced competitive environment, we've also introduced a console-only crossplay feature for ranked play. Choose to engage with players of similar skill from PS and Xbox, or test your mettle exclusively against those on your platform. Additionally, we've heard players and we're exploring the potential of cross-progression, allowing heroes to seamlessly continue their journey regardless of the platform they're on. Keep an eye out for more exciting updates as we push the boundaries of the Marvel Rivals gaming experience to welcome as many players as possible!

Your feedback is our life force and we're counting on you to help shape Marvel Rivals into the best game it can be! Stand with us during the testing phase and beyond as we collaborate to craft a truly marvelous experience. The time approaches to unite and unleash your heroic skills so be sure to check out the past Dev Talks to make sure you're up to speed! Help us help you and together, we can make Marvel Rivals the best Super Hero experience in the Multiverse!

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