Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls beta dates – How to get access
Another Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls beta is on the way to build even more hype around what is surely the most highly anticipated fighting game around right now. Developer Arc System Works have run riot in the last decade with Dragon Ball FighterZ and Guilty Gear Strive, and their next game looks like it could be the best of the lot. So, if you want to know when the Marvel Tōkon beta 2 starts and how to get access, here's what you need to know. When is the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls closed beta? The next Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls closed beta will take place between 5th and 7th December 2025. The beta will begin at midnight PST, so here's what time that means in time zones around the world: US West Coast (PST) – 12am US Mountain (MST) – 1am US Central (CST) – 2am US East Coast (EST) – 3am UK (GMT) – 8am Central Europe (CET) – 9am Singapore (SGT) – 4pm Japan (JST) – 5pm Australia East Coast (AEDT) – 7pm New Zealand (NZDT) – 9pm This is the second beta period for the game, following a weekend closed beta in September 2025. As well as a host of improvements and balance changes, it will introduce new heroes Spider-Man and Ghost Rider, as well as the two new stages Savage Land and the X-Mansion. How to get access to the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls closed beta If you were already registered for the September beta, you will be automatically registered for this one too – nothing to do! If you didn't get in last time, though, here's what you need to do. To get access to the Marvel Tōkon beta, you have to sign up on the game's official PlayStation store page via a web browser. Once you're on the page, scroll down until you reach the 'Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Closed Beta' section, and click 'Register now'. If you haven't already, complete the steps to sign up for the PlayStation Beta program. Once you're finished, you'll receive an email confirming that you've been automatically enrolled in the Marvel Tōkon beta. It should be mentioned that signing up for beta access is not a guarantee, and it's likely that beta access will only be granted to a few lucky individuals. Can I play the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls closed beta on PC? Unfortunately, the December closed beta for Marvel Tōkon is only available to players with a PS5 console and valid PlayStation Network account in good standing. While there may be future betas available on PC, you're going to have to source yourself a PS5 if you want access to this one. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Zombies ending explained: Who dies and will there be a season 2?
What happened at the end of the four episodes, and if we'll get any more. *CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF MARVEL ZOMBIES*
The highly anticipated Marvel Zombies season 1 has come and gone with an ending that’s left us on the type of cliffhanger we’ve not seen since the likes of Avengers: Infinity War. Across the mini-series’ four-episode run, we saw a wildly different story than the original 2005 comic written by Robert Kirkman — who, at the time, was also in the early days of his incredible runs of Invincible and The Walking Dead. Just like the What If... Zombies?! episode of What If…? that this series adaptation follows, the best thing about these alternative-reality Marvel Zombies stories is that anyone can die at any time, since there’s no concern about maintaining a mainline MCU continuity. What was a surprise, though, was that season 1 didn’t end the story as neatly as we would’ve thought, and left a lot of unanswered questions. Including who dies, which characters survive, and whether a season 2 is on the cards, everything key to know about Marvel Zombies’ ending is about to be explained. Marvel Zombies ending explained: What happened? During the climactic battle in the finale of Marvel Zombies’ four episodes, the efforts of the remaining heroes to protect Infinity Hulk from getting his abundance of cosmic Infinity Stone powers by the zombified Scarlet Witch (aka Wanda Maximoff/the Queen of the Dead/the Red Queen), and her scion army of the undead, end in defeat. Despite being able to smash his way to victory against zombie Thor, Wanda gets the drop on Infinity Hulk while he’s looking at Kamala, and starts to absorb all the energy of the Infinity Stones within him. Although it’s easy to wonder how Infinity Hulk could be caught off-guard so effortlessly, since this all-powerful version of Bruce Banner is wielding the powers of all six Infinity Stones and the Hulk combined, this was likely due to his exhaustion and being rusty when it comes to fighting. After all, he has literally just been sitting in Paris for five years doing nothing but absorbing all that energy. That also seems to be the reason even fighting a zombified Thor was still a challenge, even with all that extra power. All of the allies of Kamar-Taj have been killed by zombies, Valkyrie has been impaled by zombie Okoye, Blade was incinerated by zombie Thor, Shang-Chi is about to become a zombie due to being bitten again, and Spider-Man and Scott Lang are moments away from being killed themselves. With that, and being promised reality will be reset to bring her friends back, Kamala reluctantly gives in to Wanda’s demands to lend the Queen of the Dead her powers to help with wielding the energy of the Infinity Stones. Throughout the Marvel Zombies series, Wanda had been after Kamala Khan because of her own abilities via the bangles — allowing the Red Queen to utilise the Infinity Stones’ power effectively after absorbing them. After Kamala’s powers merged with Wanda’s and the stones’, a huge blast that spread beyond Earth into space ended with Kamala being back in a zombie-free Jersey, with both Kate and Riri still alive. However, it seems like Wanda tricked Kamala after all, as it turns out she’s been trapped in an illusion that’s actually still a zombie-filled earth. This is revealed by a still-alive Riri in the real world. After surviving her zombie bite with whatever she injected herself with in episode 1, she seems to have eventually tracked down Kamala and hacked her way through Wanda’s facade. Despite being able to do so for a few moments, while also desperately fighting off zombies at the same time, Riri’s able to make Kamala realise the mistake she’s made – the show ending with the would-be Ms Marvel having a horrified look on her face, followed by a final jump scare showing the Scarlett Witch’s real undead face. Whatever the exact sci-fi reasons for Kamala’s powers being essential to Wanda’s plans are, the Queen of the Dead seems to need her alive, which is presumably why Marvel Zombies ended without turning Kamala into a zombie herself and keeping her in this dream world. Who died during Marvel Zombies episode 4? Quite a few notable characters had already died before and during Marvel Zombies’ first few episodes: including Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop, Namor, Melina Vostokoff, Red Guardian, Thanos, Baron Zemo, Ghost, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Death Dealer, and even Jimmy Woo. Throughout the finale battle, though, the following heroes had definitely lost their lives by the ending of Marvel Zombies: London Master Rintrah Sara Blade Thor (zombie) Hawkeye (zombie) Hank Pym (zombie) Janet Van Dyne (zombie) Did Spider-Man, Scott, Shang-Chi, Katy and Valkyrie die? Despite being seconds away from death during the finale, Spider-Man and Scott Lang seemingly did not die during the ending of Marvel Zombies. Spider-Man was about to get eaten by a giant zombie (presumably Hope), with Scott about to get his head jar smashed open, but Kamala’s joining of her powers with Wanda’s setting off the Infinity Stone blast likely shifted the remaining heroes elsewhere. Since whatever exactly the blast did shifted Kamala all the way back to Jersey, it’s safe to assume it would have done the same for the offers. The same goes for Katy; while it seemed like she got bitten by the zombie Jimmy and Death Dealer, a split-second shot shows both zombies biting her share of the Ten Rings on her wrists — not her actual flesh. With Shang-Chi, it’s a bit more complex; the ending of Marvel Zombies definitely saw the Quantum Virus infection taking hold, but Kamala and the Scarlett Witch’s blast set off just before we could see the rest of his living body turn. Finally, while we saw Valkyrie get stabbed through the abdomen by zombie Okoye’s spear, we never actually saw her die, either. Having Spider-Man alive is the most likely of all, since Peter Parker would be the next likely player to take the lead in Marvel Zombies Season 2. For the rest, though, the rule is always the same TV and movies: if we never see the body, they’re likely not dead. What happened to Bucky in Marvel Zombies? Despite being telekinetically thrown off into the great distance by Wanda back in What If... Zombies?!, we never saw Bucky Barnes again in season 1 of Marvel Zombies, nor ever even mentioned. While the Super Soldier Serum-infused Winter Soldier could stay that way, that same rule of ‘if you never see the body…’ gives the possibility of Bucky having survived his long fall in What If…?, leaving the door open to his return in a Marvel Zombies season 2. Is Marvel Zombies getting a season 2? At the time of writing, whether there will be a Marvel Zombies season 2 hasn’t been confirmed just yet, but Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum and showrunner Bryan Andrews confirmed that the show will get more episodes if there’s a big enough audience. In an interview with Comicbook.com, the pair explained that people essentially have to “subscribe to Disney+ and watch this show”. "If that happens, they will get more. And we are excited. We’re ready." In a separate interview with Variety, Andrews confirmed that there’s “so much material” for a season 2. So, if we do want to see what happens to Kamala, Spider-Man, and the rest of the Marvel Zombies series universe, more will have to check it out. Despite a mediocre critic score of 67 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences seem to be liking Marvel Zombies a lot more, with a rating of 82 per cent. Most importantly, though, Marvel Zombies is topping Disney+’s streaming charts — already being #1 in the Top 10 in the UK Today list on the streaming service. We haven’t seen any actual viewing figures across the world just yet, but this is already a good sign that there’ll be enough demand for a Marvel Zombies Season 2 that Disney+ agrees to give us just that. Marvel Zombies is available to stream on Disney+. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
New Wolverine actor revealed as Insomniac game confirms release window
After what seems like an eternity, yesterday's PlayStation State of Play finally gave us some news on Marvel's Wolverine, including a big reveal of its star actor. Since the title was confirmed in 2021, Marvel's Wolverine has garnered tremendous anticipation among gamers, although news on its progress has been few and far between. Now, alongside a brand-new trailer and the game's official cover art, developer Insomniac Games has revealed the voice behind the iconic hero. Rather aptly, Hugh Jackman, who has effectively become synonymous with the role over the past two decades, will be replaced by fellow Australian Liam McIntyre for the Insomniac title. On the role, McIntyre said: "Fans out there know what Wolverine is who he is. My job is to try to find the essence of who Wolverine is, especially as it applies to our story. "People hurt him, take from him, people betray him. He still fights for people who can't fight for themselves." McIntyre is perhaps best known for playing the lead role in both Spartacus: Vengeance and Spartacus: War of the Damned, although he also has some pedigree in the gaming world. He provided the voice of JD Fenix in both Gears of War 4 and Gears 5, and more recently played Taron Malicos in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. View Green Video on the source website As well as revealing McIntyre in the lead role, last night's State of Play also confirmed the game's release window, with Marvel's Wolverine slated for a Q3/Q4 2026 release. As for the contents of the game itself, a blog post from the official PlayStation website reads as follows: "In this story, [Wolverine] is on the hunt to uncover the secrets of a dark past that keeps eluding him. Unfortunately, in this world, he'll have to dig his claws deep to pull any shred of information that may lead to answers. "Often, that means shredding into a relentless onslaught of enemies who aim to stop him by any means necessary. Fuelled by unflinching resilience (and a rapid healing factor), Wolverine won't go down easy if it means keeping the mission on task." Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
After one beta, I'm sold – Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is the next big fighter
It's an interesting time for fighting games. With Tekken, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat all having recently released games, a gap has opened, ripe to be exploited. Three games – all tag fighters – are looking to fill it: Riot Games' 2XKO, Quarter Up's Invincible VS, and Arc System Works' Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. After a brief hands-on at Gamescom, I can confirm that Invincible VS is looking very promising. As for 2XKO, Riot seems intent on fumbling what was once a slam dunk. Unfortunately for both, after this weekend's beta, I am 100 per cent sure Marvel Tōkon is set to be the next big fighter. The first reason for that is that, at least for my first hour or so in the game, I had no idea what I was doing. The game, like Dragon Ball: FighterZ before it, features an auto combo system that is explained to you alongside various other mechanics such as assists, supers, and more. It's nice to have a beginner-friendly means of playing, but beyond that, the game has a level of depth that only becomes clear when you get your hands on it. Tōkon is mechanically dense. Not only does it require your inputs to be on point, as any fighter does, but the level of skill expression available is tremendous. From the moment you start throwing out combos, it is readily apparent that this game has a sky-high skill ceiling – one the likes of me has no hope of reaching in a measly beta period. I spent the first hour of my time in the beta just throwing out strings in the practice mode, seeing what worked and what didn't, testing out various assists, supers and more. Each character, beyond being simply zoners, rushdown, etc., had their own gimmick that opened up even more avenues of play. Star Lord, in my opinion, was the best example of this thanks to a Restand mechanic that offered phenomenal combo potential, and it was hardly surprising to see so many people playing him online. But he was far from the only character with such a gimmick. Dr. Doom has his teleports and shields which, combined with assists, make him a fantastic mix-up character with demanding combos that are rewarded with big damage. I'm sure I wasn't the only one being harassed by Ms. Marvel and her lows over and over again, either. The roster feels very well balanced too. Certainly, there were a couple of characters that felt stronger than others (hello again, Star Lord), but every character felt viable, in part thanks to their various niches. This may be because the beta roster was so small, and with more characters, balancing naturally becomes more difficult, though as long as we don't reach FighterZ levels of roster size wherein about half the roster isn't worth touching, I have high hopes for Tōkon remaining balanced. The game is, in theory, a tag fighter, but interestingly, it doesn't always play that way in practice. Unlike in FighterZ, your characters all share one health bar, so whether you use one character or all four, you have the same HP to lose. This leads to an interesting style of play where, with no real benefit to tagging out as in other tag fighters. It is often in your best interest to pick a main and stick to it, choosing your remaining characters based on how well their assists support you. It adds a level of specialisation that typically isn't available in tag fighters – if you're a zoner, you can handily main Iron Man and really hone your skills with him. On the flip side, if players gravitate towards this style of play, that perhaps opens up more mix-up potential if they like to switch between multiple characters, keeping opponents guessing with regards to who they could swap to next. There certainly could be more incentive to tag beyond simply a bit more mix-up potential, but for the moment, it's a mechanic that really sets Tōkon apart from even ArcSys's other titles. Mind games are just as important as mechanics, and more freedom to express yourself via your playstyle is just as crucial, for me at least, as skill expression. One single beta is nowhere near enough time to explore everything this game has to offer. There's so much theorycrafting that will undoubtedly take place before the game returns to our screens, whether that's for another beta or the full release, and I'm excited to see what ridiculous combos the most creative among us manage to come up with. Beyond the fundamentals, I haven't even mentioned the presentation, which in true ArcSys style, is phenomenal. The genius move to forego a traditional comic book art style in favour of more anime-esque visuals is genius, and everything from the characters to backgrounds to hitsplats looks all the better for it. Even from a gameplay standpoint, the exceedingly clean art style makes it surprisingly easy to parse the action even when there are multiple assists flying across the screen. If you played the beta yourself, you certainly don't need me to tell you how good this game is shaping up to be. If it were released tomorrow, I am confident it would be a success, so I can only imagine how stellar it will be once it's fully polished. Out of the many compliments I can pay Marvel Tōkon, the best one is that, ever since the beta period ended, all I have thought about is how much I want to jump back on. It's been a long time since I've felt that way about a fighting game. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals director defends female character skins and points to "classic comic designs"
"I'm very grateful these deigns have been well received by the majority of players."
Since first gracing our screens at the end of last year, Marvel Rivals has built an impressive audience. But some onlookers have questioned whether its female character designs verge too far into sexualisation. Characters like Psylocke, Emma Frost and the Invisible Woman have all gone viral on social media for their rather revealing skins, earned in-game or bought from the store for real-life money. During a recent Rivals Assembled interview, Marvel Rivals creative director Guanggang was asked about accusations of Marvel Rivals being a "gooner game". That is a slang term that is used to describe any game which has over-sexualised characters. "Our design is inspired by classic comic themes, including some very outstanding skins like Mantis and also Psylocke's Vengeance," he replied, "these all come from classic comic designs, and we create some more fashionable designs based on them to gain players' appreciation. I think this also reflects the broad recognition from our players." Later in the interview, Guanggang goes on to explain the process behind developing some of the skin designs: "As mentioned earlier with the Squirrel Girl and the Krakoa Resort skin, these are actually designs based on real-world themes and the season's storyline. "For designs like these, we try our best to integrate the storylines from the season, including elements from Krakoa, and blend popular elements from real life. "We create new designs based on that and I'm very grateful these deigns have been well received by the majority of players." The debate about 'gooner games' is not a new one, with similar discourse hitting games such as Stellar Blade and The First Descendant in the last couple of years. But while these accusations are perhaps more apt for a game like The First Descendant, which initially blew up on launch in part thanks to its viral designs before almost immediately haemorrhaging players, it feels reductive to say the same of Marvel Rivals. Rivals continues to rack up huge player numbers, with concurrent player numbers on Steam peaking at over 100,000 every day. Consistently racking up these kinds of figures speaks to a game that is genuinely high quality, and not one that is simply throwing revealing skins at players to try and keep them interested or garner viral moments. Could some of these skins be classified as 'gooner adjacent'? Probably. Is Marvel Rivals a 'gooner game'? Probably not. Maybe it's just fashionably designed. View Green Video on the source website Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals codes - full list and how to redeem Is Marvel Rivals free? - what you can pay for Marvel Rivals crossplay - is it cross-platform? Marvel Rivals team-ups explained - all combinations Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Spider-Man star Tom Holland responds to James Bond casting rumours: "There's speculation"
With Daniel Craig vacating the role of 007 after 15 years in the job, the hunt for the next James Bond is heating up, and one of the bookies' favourites is playing coy about it all. Speculation about who could be the next Bond is rampant, following reports that the shortlist for the iconic role has been whittled down to three: Harris Dickinson, Jacob Elordi and Tom Holland. Now, Holland has broken his silence on the situation, acknowledging it but choosing not to divulge too much information about what may be going on. In a video on Gordon Ramsay's YouTube channel in which the pair chat while making a fried chicken sandwich, Ramsay wryly asked Holland: "Ever thought about using the word 'James' with future movies going forward?" Holland, smiling, immediately replied: "Listen, there's speculation at the minute. We'll keep it to a minimum for now," before adding: "We'll get there one day." View oEmbed on the source website Although reluctant to share any details, Holland didn't hide his enthusiasm for the role of Bond. "Every young British actor, it's the pinnacle of working in our industry," he explained. "I already consider myself to be the luckiest kid alive. I could never have dreamed to have the career that I've had." While Bond may be the pinnacle, Holland is currently still hard at work on the fourth film in the MCU's Spider-Man series, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with filming getting under way in Glasgow earlier this week. On the Bond side of things, the new Amazon-led production has continued to add to its ranks, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight joining as a writer alongside previously announced director Denis Villeneuve. Whoever ends up as 007 will have big shoes to fill, with Daniel Craig's 15-year stint delivering some of the franchise's most popular films, such as Casino Royale and Skyfall. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals codes: Full list of extras and how to redeem them
What codes are there for Marvel Rivals right now?
Bringing some of the biggest names in the Marvel comic book universe to gaming, Marvel Rivals has cemented itself as one of the biggest shooters on the market right now. And with Season 3 well under way, it's a great time to jump into the action. Every now and again, developer NetEase releases some Marvel Rivals codes that you can use to unlock limited-edition skins and cosmetics. So, if you're curious if there are any you can redeem right now, read on for a look at all of the available codes for Marvel Rivals! Full list of Marvel Rivals codes As of July 2025, there are currently no Marvel Rivals codes available. Expired codes NWARH4K3XQY — Iron Man: Armor Model 42 costume (Expired 5th March 2025) HEREISTHETHING – Free The Thing Unlimited skin for signing up to Marvel Rivals Unlimited Although they aren't codes, you can get these extra items at no added cost: Scarlet Spider costume | Download from the PlayStation Store (if you're playing on PS5) Peni Parker VEN#m costume | Exclusive for PS Plus subscribers as part of the Season 0 bundle We’ll update this page if/when more freebies are confirmed by NetEase Games. How to redeem Marvel Rivals codes To redeem codes in Marvel Rivals, you need to head into the options menu, select 'Bundle Code' and then enter the code you want to redeem. You’ll find the options menu on the main page of the game by pressing pause on your controller, 'Esc' on your keyboard or by clicking on the cog icon in the top right of the screen. Simply enter your code in the Bundle Code screen, hit the 'Use' button, and you’ll redeem it. Redeem your reward and you’ll be shown a preview of it before the game asks if you would like to instantly equip it or not (for new cosmetic items such as costumes, anyway). Codes shouldn’t be case-sensitive, meaning you can enter them in all caps or without using capital letters. The code we tried works like that, anyway. We'll be sure to update this page when the next code(s) become available. Marvel Rivals is available across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals tier list: The best characters Marvel Rivals trophy guide: Full list of achievements Marvel Rivals player count: How many have picked it up? Will Marvel Rivals come to Switch: Director comments on handheld options Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Fortnite Fantastic Four skins: Release date and how to get
As we near the start of the next Fortnite season, Epic Games is rounding off the ongoing super season in a big way! To celebrate the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Fortnite has introduced a collection of Fantastic Four skins to the game. So, if you're curious about the Fortnite Fantastic Four skins and are wondering how to get them, read on for everything you need to know! Fortnite Fantastic Four skins release date The Fortnite Fantastic Four skins release at 1am on 26th July 2025 in the Item Shop. For those of you in the Americas, that translates to 25th July at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. This coincides with the release of the film itself on the same date. However, while this is the full release date, players had the chance to unlock the skins before they were available in the shop via the Fantastic Four Cup, a Squads Cup that took place on 23rd July. How to get the Fortnite Fantastic Four skins Each member of the Fantastic Four has received their own unique skin in the Fortnite Item Shop. The four skins are based on their characters from the film, meaning all you Pedro Pascal fiends out there will be able to play as Hollywood's current favourite son in-game. All of these skins will be available in the Fortnite Item Shop, either on their own or as part of a Bundle, with one mega Bundle containing all the new cosmetics together! Here's how much everything will cost: Fantastic Four Full Bundle – 3,600 V-Bucks (Includes everything) Reed Richards Bundle – 1,600 V-Bucks (Includes Fantastic Fists Pickaxe and Fantastic Calculations Emote) Susan Storm Bundle – 1,600 V-Bucks (Includes Psionic Orbs Pickaxe and Force Field Shatter Emote) Johnny Storm Bundle – 1,800 V-Bucks (Includes Torch's Flame Pickaxe and Flame On! Emote) The Thing Bundle – 1,500 V-Bucks Fantastic Four Space Craft Glider – 800 V-Bucks Sue's Fantastic Logo Back Bling – 300 V-Bucks Johnny's Fantastic Logo Back Bling – 300 V-Bucks Four Girder Pickaxe – 800 V-Bucks It's Clobberin' Time! Emote – 300 V-Bucks Fantastic Free Weight Back Bling – 300 V-Bucks View Green Video on the source website Discover more with Fortnite creative map codes: Fortnite horror maps | Fortnite action-adventure maps | Fortnite hide and seek maps | Fortnite Zone Wars maps | Fortnite fighting maps | Fortnite parkour maps | best Fortnite creative maps | Fortnite Squid Game map codes | Fortnite Monopoly code | Fortnite I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here code | Fortnite Doctor Who map code Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals season 3 release date: UK Launch time and patch notes
Marvel Rivals season 3 is out later this afternoon! That is, if everything goes smoothly and Marvel Rivals hits its expected UK launch time. But until then, we'll go over what to expect in the new season, as well as what changes have been made in a list of patch notes. But whether you are playing ranked or casual, there should be something new for everyone to enjoy. Though no doubt, some rebalancing will send some controllers flying. Season 3 will see the introduction of a new two new heroes as well, with one arriving today and another later in August. And to help you get the most out of season 3, be sure to check out the best Marvel Rivals crosshair codes so that you can be on target. Maybe, you'll finally get out of bronze... When is the Marvel Rivals season 3 release date? Marvel Rivals season 3 is currently scheduled to begin on 11th July 2025. Dubbed 'The Abyss Awakens', this season focuses on the additions of two new heroes: Phoenix and Blade. Here's how the official trailer describes the season: "In the wake of the Timestream Entanglement, Knull stirs deep within Klyntar's core, stretching his shadowed hands across the cosmos. Power promised by the dark symbiote god beckons the awakening of a new queen. "The Phoenix arrives from across the stars to erase Klyntar before the darkness can rise again! However, she'll require unlikely aid from a warrior of two worlds who lives to fight against the tide of night. "As the god of the symbiotes and the Phoenix Force collide, will you burn with the light of creation or embrace the darkness?" When is the Marvel Rivals season 3 UK launch time? The Marvel Rivals season 3 UK launch time will be around 12PM BST. For previous updates, the servers typically go down around 10AM BST and come back up two hours later. With that in mind, if everything goes according to plan, we should be able to hop straight back in around noon. Perfect then for a cheeky few lunchtime rounds of Marvel Rivals before we have to go back to work and school! There is every possibility that something could break, but we'll keep you updated as best as we can in the unlikely event that it all goes pear-shaped. What changes in the Marvel Rivals season 3 early patch notes? NetEase has released the patch notes in preparation for season 3, so we already know what the balance changes for the start of the season will look like. Here are the full patch notes for Marvel Rivals season 3: Vanguard Emma Frost Looks like the White Queen is trading a bit of offense for more glam! Her Damage and her Survivability in Diamond Form are taking a slight hit. Reduce Telepathic Pulse Damage at 99 energy from 120/s to 110/s and from 150/s to 140/s at 100 energy. Reduce Diamond Form Damage Reduction from 30% to 25%. Reduce the energy cost of Psionic Seduction (Ultimate Ability) from 3700 to 3400. The Thing We're not afraid to say it... IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME! Now with smoother moves and more utility! Time for more pain with your brothers and sisters in arms! New Ability Battle Blitz: The Thing leaps toward enemies, gaining 25% Damage Reduction. Leap targeting distance to enemies is 20m. Stone Haymaker New Effect: Knocks down hit flying enemies. Venom Venom's got a stickier grip! His control after diving in is now slightly more terrifying. Increase Cellular Corrosion enemy slow effect from 15% to 25%. Duelist Human Torch Flame on… but mind the heat! Johnny's getting a Team-Up Anchor effect but a little less firepower to balance things out. Reduce Fire Cluster Damage per projectile from 6 to 5.5. Reduce Supernova (Ultimate Ability) activation shockwave Damage from 80 to 75 and Fire Tornadoes DoT from 120/s to 110/s. Add Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage boost. Iron Man Tony's slightly powering down with reduced Damage output and a longer wait for his Ultimate. Reduce the first two Repulsor Blast hits from 40 to 35 and from 50 to 45 while in Armor Overdrive. Increase energy cost of Invincible Pulse Cannon (Ultimate Ability) from 2800 to 3400. Mister Fantastic The stretchy genius gets slightly less tanky in his Inflated state. Reduce Inflated state Bonus Health from 400 to 350. Namor The Sub-Mariner surges forward with smoother aim and slightly sharper tridents! Increase Trident of Neptune Projectile Damage from 70 to 75 and Projectile Speed from 120m/s to 150m/s. Increase Wrath of the Seven Seas Projectile Speed from 120m/s to 150m/s. Scarlet Witch Wanda's Ultimate just got a little more hex-tra! Reduce max slow rate during Reality Erasure (Ultimate Ability) charge period from 35% to 25% and increase Damage from 750 to 850. Spider-Man Web-warriors rejoice! Spidey loses his Team-Up Anchor bonus but gains a new Team-Up Ability and a bit more bite. Increase 'Get Over Here!' kick Damage when pulled to enemies from 50 to 55. Increase Spider-Power midair Damage from 50 to 55. Increase Amazing Combo Damage from 55 to 60. The Punisher Frank's turret is losing some sting, and his Ultimate is going to need more juice. Reduce Culling Turret Projectile Damage from 12 to 10, and decrease the Spell Field Damage from 12 to 10. Increase the energy cost of Final Judgement (Ultimate Ability) from 3400 to 3700. Winter Soldier Bucky's getting a little more dangerous from downtown. Adjust Roterstern Damage Falloff maximum at 40m from 60% to 70%. Wolverine Logan's control frequency is taking a slight hit as he now needs more time to sharpen those claws between leaps. Increase Feral Leap strike duration from 4s to 5s and increase its cooldown from 12s to 15s. View Green Video on the source website Strategist Invisible Woman Sue's healing is a little more reliable, now that's fantastic! Increase Orb Projection healing on launch from 40 to 45 and damage from 20 to 25. Reduce healing on return from 40 to 35 and damage from 20 to 15 Loki The God of Mischief needs slightly more energy for his Ultimate. Guess he's been up to too many tricks! Increase the energy cost of God of Mischief (Ultimate Ability) from 4000 to 4300. Mantis Mantis's healing touch grows, and her Ultimate is more potent, but its frequency is reduced. Healing Flower New Effect: Heals allies by 2.5%/s. Reduce base healing from 20/s to 12.5/s. Increase energy cost of Soul Resurgence (Ultimate Ability) from 3700 to 4300. Increase Bonus Max Health from 100 to 150. Ultron Ultron's going to have to update his software as his defenses are taking a slight hit, and he's a little less of a team player (which seems fine by him) in this patch. Reduced Dynamic Flight acceleration effect time from 8s to 6s. Reduce Imperative: Firewall Bonus Health to self from 75 to 65 and to allies from 55 to 50. Team-Up Abilities Ever-Burning Bond (Human Torch – Spider-Man) – NEW With great friendship comes great firepower! As the Team-Up Anchor, Human Torch gains a 5% boost in damage output. Spider-Man unlocks the new Inferno Blast ability through his team-up with Human Torch. Primal Flame (Phoenix – Wolverine) – NEW Snikt! Now with a side of cosmic fire. As the Team-Up Anchor, Phoenix gains a 10% boost in damage output. Wolverine gains the new Phoenix Warrior ability through his Team-Up with Phoenix. Stark Protocol (Iron Man – Ultron/Squirrel Girl) – ADJUSTED Squirrel Girl joins this tech Team-Up! Squirrel Girl gains the new Squirrel Missile ability from her Team-Up with Iron Man. Symbiote Shenanigans (Venom – Jeff the Land Shark/Hela) – ADJUSTED The Goddess of Death joins in on the shenanigans. Hela gains the Hel Tendrils ability through her Team-Up with Venom. We're slightly increasing the power on Jeff's end of his Team-Up Ability. Maximum mayhem, now with extra bite! Increase Guardian of the Deep maximum Bonus Health from 50 to 100 and max tendril link period from 3s to 5s. Guardian Revival (Adam Warlock – Star Lord/Mantis) – ADJUSTED We're slightly reducing the usage coverage of this Team-Up as even the Guardians need to pace themselves. Increase Leader's Soul and Nature's Soul ability cooldown from 120s to 135s. ESU Alumnus (Spider-Man – Squirrel Girl) – REMOVED Time for these two to graduate on to bigger and better things. The Team-Up Anchor effect for Spider-Man has been removed, along with the ESU Alumus Team-Up Ability. Squirrel Girl loses the Webbed Acorn ability previously gained from her Team-Up with Spider-Man. Storming Ignition (Storm – Human Torch) – REMOVED The fire is out and the storm has passed on this Team-Up. Storm loses the Burning Hurrican ability gained from her Team-Up with Human Torch. Human Torch loses the Omega Fire ability gained from his Team-Up with Storm. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Why was Marvel's Black Panther game cancelled by EA?
It’s been a rough few years in the gaming industry, with lay-offs and closures galore, and unfortunately, this trend seems set to continue with another high-profile game and studio being shuttered, but why was Marvel’s Black Panther game cancelled by EA? First reported on by IGN, staff members of Cliffhanger Games, the studio developing the Black Panther game, received an email, seen by IGN, announcing the closure from Laura Miele, the EA Entertainment president. In the email, Miele is reported to have said that the cancellation of Black Panther (as well as other titles such as the in-development Titanfall game) was due to EA wanting to "sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities". These "significant growth opportunities" being the many EA Sports franchises, The Sims, Battlefield, Apex Legends and the upcoming Skate reboot. In 2024, CEO Andrew Wilson announced that EA would be "moving away from development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry". Marvel’s Black Panther very much fits the bill here, so perhaps it isn’t a surprise to see its cancellation come to pass, but being so far into 2025 could suggest an internal review took place to gauge how the project was developing. View Green Video on the source website It is also common practice for companies to wait until the new tax year before cancelling a project, as tax write-offs reduce taxable income, but there is nothing to suggest that this is what EA has done. The people working at Cliffhanger Games, founded by Kevin Stephens, who used to head Monolith Productions responsible for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, are said to be moved to different projects across the company, as opposed to being laid off entirely, according to IGN. As games continue to get more expensive to develop, the number of closures is no doubt set to continue. This can range from projects such as Black Panther that are yet to see the light of day, all the way to the likes of Concord, whose walk-back was unprecedented in the gaming world. While Black Panther is no longer happening, there are still a good handful of superhero games in development. EA has said it is still committed to the Iron Man game from Motive, there is the now-delayed Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, Marvel Blade from Arkane and Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
David Tennant reveals he wanted Fantastic Four role before Pedro Pascal got the part
One super smart doctor is not enough for him, eh?
When it comes to media darlings, you would be hard-pressed to name many better candidates than David Tennant and Pedro Pascal. The ever-popular Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor from Doctor Who and Joel of The Last of Us fame, respectively, Tennant and Pascal, have each developed their own broad and dedicated fan followings. And it appears that those followings may include each other, or at least, one of them does, as David Tennant has revealed that he initially wanted to play Pascal's role of Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. On Saturday (24th May 2025), MCM Comic Con at Excel London was buzzing when superstar Tennant was welcomed to the Main Stage (and livestreamed to two others due to his popularity) to discuss his eclectic career. A crowd of the actor's devoted fans had the opportunity to ask questions. Among them, one fan asked Tennant, regardless of likelihood, gender or age, which superhero and supervillains he would most like to play. "I think in terms of supervillains, I got the best one with Kilgrave," he responded, referencing his manipulative villain in Netflix’s MCU series Jessica Jones. "In terms of superheroes, I did slightly have my eye on Reed Richards, and unfortunately, it looks like they’ve gone in a different direction,” Tennant answered with a smile. He added: "Although if it has to be someone, I’m very happy for it to be Pedro Pascal." View Green Video on the source website Pascal has certainly been a popular choice. Reed Richards is, of course, the leader of Marvel's Fantastic Four as Mister Fantastic and will be played by Pascal in the upcoming new take on the characters as they enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Pascal will be joined in the Fantastic Four cast by Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman/Susan Storm, Joseph Quinn as Human Torch/Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing/Ben Grimm. But while Tennant may be missing out on Mister Fantastic, he certainly has enough on his plate at the moment to keep him busy. He has just wrapped filming on Good Omens season 3, and has his new, weekly show on ITV, The Genius Game, as well as a recent appearance on The Assembly. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on this week. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to watch Captain America: Brave New World – can you stream it?
We finally have a streaming release date...
Captain America: Brave New World has finally confirmed its Disney+ streaming release date – and there isn't too long to wait at all! The 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the fourth film in the Captain America film series landed on our screens earlier this year, following on from the events of the Disney+ limited series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie reprises his role as Sam Wilson, now having truly taken on the mantle of Captain America as he combats dangerous new threats, while other The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stars join him, including Carl Lumbly as aged super soldier Isaiah Bradley and Danny Ramirez as Wilson's comrade in arms Joaquin Torres. The film had its digital release in April, but fans who missed the movie in cinemas (or simply want to watch it again) might be wondering when it'll be available to stream from the comfort of your own home for no extra charge. Here are all the details you need on how to watch Captain America: Brave New World. How to watch Captain America: Brave New World at home Captain America: Brave New World is now available to purchase on digital platforms. This means you can watch the film via online digital retailers including on Amazon Prime Video and the Apple Store. But if the film's underwhelming reviews have left you unsure whether you want to rent or buy it, read on for everything you need to know about when you'll be able to watch it for free on Disney+. When will Captain America: Brave New World be streaming on Disney+? Captain America: Brave New World will become available to stream for no additional cost for subscribers on Disney+ on 28th May 2025. This won't come as a huge surprise for fans, as Disney typically gives its releases at least a 100-day exclusive theatrical/pay-to-watch window. This was the case with the last MCU movie Deadpool & Wolverine. View oEmbed on the source website While we wait for the film to land on streaming, in the meantime you can watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+ right now, as well as the previous three Captain America movies: The First Avenger, The Winter Soldier and Civil War. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Captain America: Brave New World is available to purchase on digital. You can sign up to Disney+ for £4.99 a month or £79.90 a year now. Check out the rest of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra release date delayed so game "lives up to our vision"
Marvel 1943: Ride of Hydra's release date has been delayed until 2026, it has been announced. Inspired by the 2010 Captain America / Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers comic series, the game was initially scheduled for a holiday 2025 release. That has now changed, with developer Skydance Games announcing a delay via social media. "We have an important update: Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra will now be launching in early 2026," their statement reads. "Taking this additional time will allow us to add more polish, and make sure we give you the best possible experience, and one that lives up to our vision." View oEmbed on the source website First unveiled at GDC 2024 as part of an Unreal Engine showcase, Rise of Hydra is the latest game from industry icon Amy Hennig, creator of the Uncharted series, and her first since leaving Naughty Dog. The game's plot synopsis reads: "In the chaos of war, worlds collide. Captain America and Azzuri, the Black Panther of the 1940s, must overcome their differences and form an uneasy alliance to confront their common enemy." Starring Drew Moerlein as Captain America and Khary Payton as Black Panther, Hennig stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the game's setting has allowed the developers to "do a bunch of interesting things." "It led us to tap into all the things that I love, all of the wonderful tropes of World War II-era adventure films, classic men-on-a-mission movies and all of that," she explained. "There's a lot of intrigue in our story, a lot of twists and turns, fascinating characters, and interesting locations." Unfortunately, players will have to wait a bit longer to experience that story, with Rise of Hydra marking the latest in a series of games to delay their release dates, including Dune: Awakening and, of course, GTA 6. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals season 2: Release date, patch notes and what to expect
We're approaching the end of the first full season of Marvel Rivals, and season 2 is set to be bigger and better. Since releasing at the end of 2024, Marvel Rivals has well and truly cemented itself as one of the biggest shooters around. So, when does season 2 start, and what's included? Read on for everything you need to know. When is the Marvel Rivals season 2 release date? Marvel Rivals season 2 launches at midnight UTC on Friday 11th April 2025. This was officially confirmed by developer NetEase via the game's official website and at the end of the trailer showcasing the new season. As the start of a brand-new season, it's set to be a massive update, so there's plenty of content to cover. View oEmbed on the source website What to expect from Marvel Rivals season 2 The official story for season 2 is described like this: "After the intense Eternal Night saga and defeat of Dracula, Emma Frost has prepared a lavish celebration, inviting everyone to don their best attire and venture to the Mutant haven of the Living Island Krakoa for the annual Hellfire gala. "But as we know, heroes never truly get a peaceful vacation. The uninvited Ultron has crashed the party, and the attending heroes must spring into action to protect Krakoa's greatest treasure from his grasp." As you might have gathered, there are two new heroes joining the roster in season 2: Emma Frost and Ultron. We already know that Emma Frost will be a Vanguard (something the game has desperately needed more of), but Ultron's class hasn't been revealed yet. We're also getting a new map – HELLFIRE GALA: KRAKOA – set to the backdrop of the aforementioned lore. While those are the biggest new additions, there are still plenty of smaller changes being made to the game. New Team-Ups are being added to the title, with some of the existing ones being tweaked or removed entirely. Weekly missions are being introduced in addition to daily ones to help out with unlocking in-game rewards. Naturally, a new season also means a new Battle Pass, and a variety of new costumes for characters across the game's roster. Finally, while it won't affect season 2, it's been announced that from season 3 onwards, seasons will move to a two-month format, where a new hero is introduced in each month. Marvel Rivals season 2 patch notes NetEase has released the patch notes for season 2 early, so we already know the balance changes set to be introduced this week. Here are the full patch notes for Marvel Rivals season 2: Vanguard Captain America – Steve will undergo some adjustments to his survivability, leading to a slight decrease in his overall resilience. Reduce base health from 675 to 650. Reduce the shield value of Living Legend from 400 to 350. Doctor Strange – The Sorcerer Supreme will see a reduction in his offensive capabilities, limiting his battlefield control. Decrease Daggers of Denak damage per projectile from 18 to 16. Reduce the Maelstrom of Madness conversion ratio of Dark Magic to damage from 1.3 to 1.2. Hulk – The Green Goliath will boast enhanced maneuverability and improved survivability upon entering combat. Increase base movement speed from 600 to 650. Reduce cooldown time for Indestructible Guard from 12 seconds to 10 seconds. Decrease minimum charge time for Incredible Leap from 0.7 seconds to 0.5 seconds. Magneto – The Master of Magnetism will experience a slight decrease in the frequency of his Ultimate Ability. Increase energy cost for Meteor M (Ultimate Ability) from 3100 to 3400. Peni Parker – Peni will receive enhancements to her primary attack damage efficiency and a boost to her survivability and combat capabilities. Cyber-Web Cluster now has a chance to crit; reduce movement speed penalty while firing Cyber-Web Cluster from 40 per cent to 20 per cent. Increase base health from 650 to 750. The Thing – The Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Thing will see a slight reduction in his damage reduction effect. Decrease Embattled Leap's damage reduction effect for himself and teammates from 30 per cent to 25 per cent. Thor – The Mighty Thor will receive an increase in survivability. Increase base health from 525 to 600. Increase base movement speed from 600 to 650. Duelist Black Widow – Natasha is receiving optimisations to her shooting experience. Added a new effect where Black Widow can directly shoot after releasing the second kick of Edge Dancer and after using Electro-Plasma Explosion (Ultimate Ability). Hawkeye – We're improving Clint's mobility while drawing his bow, enhancing his combat capabilities, and increasing the threat of his Ultimate Ability. Reduce the slow effect while charging the bow from 30 per cent to 20 per cent. Increase both instances of damage for Hypersonic Arrow from 50 to 55. Decrease energy cost for Hunter's Sight (Ultimate Ability) from 3700 to 3100 and improve the bow draw speed increase from 1.35x to 1.5x. Hela – The Goddess of Death will see a reduction in mobility while slightly enhancing her offensive power. Increase cooldown time for Astral Flock from 12 seconds to 15 seconds. Increase Spell Field Damage of Piercing Night from 30 to 35. Decrease cooldown time for Soul Drainer from 12 seconds to 10 seconds. Human Torch – Johnny's attack feedback and survivability are being improved to enhance his impact across various combat scenarios. Reduce attack interval for Fire Cluster from 0.6 seconds to 0.5 seconds; the launch timing of the primary attack projectile has been advanced. Increase the cooldown for Flaming Meteor from 12 seconds to 15 seconds, but add a new effect: After releasing Flaming Meteor, immediately gain 75 Bonus Health, which will start to falloff 3 seconds later at a rate of 30 per second. Iron Man – Iron Man is seeing improvements to his mid-range combat effectiveness. Slightly reduce Iron Man's hitbox size. New feature: Gain 100 Bonus Health activating Armor Overdrive or Gamma Overdrive that will start to falloff 5 seconds later at a rate of 30 per second. Iron Fist – Lin Lie will see an increase in his combat effectiveness against Vanguards, a slight improvement to his mobility, and a slight reduction to his survivability when first entering the battlefield. Reduce the Bonus Max Health gained from Harmony Recovery from 150 to 100, but slow the falloff rate of that health from 25 per/s to 15 per/s. Lower fixed damage of Yat Jee Chung Kuen from 10 to 9, but increase the percentage damage of the enemy's Max Health per strike from 1.7 per cent to 2.1 per cent. Decrease the cooldown for K'un-Lun Kick from 12 seconds to 10 seconds. Mister Fantastic – We're enhancing Reed's capabilities while making some balance adjustments to his ultimate energy charge rate, adding additional control ability, and optimizing the release experience of his Ultimate Ability. Increase base health from 350 to 375. Boost the damage of Stretch Punch from 60 to 65 and from 75 to 80 while in Inflated state. Flexible Elongation New Effect: Enemies within range now suffer a 35 per cent slow effect; reduce Flexible Elongation cooldown time from 10s to 8s. Reduce the Elasticity gained from Elastic Strength (passive ability) from 30 to 20, while the Elasticity provided by Stretch Punch is increased from 5 to 8. After entering the inflated state, the Bonus Health provided to self has been reduced from 450 to 400. New Feature: When Mister Fantastic uses Brainiac Bounce (Ultimate Ability), immediately gain Bonus Health equal to that gained when entering inflated state. Moon Knight – We're optimizing Marc's Moon Blade projectile bounce feedback while improving maneuverability, Ultimate Ability, and survivability. Increase Crescent Dart projectile speed from 120m/s to 150 m/s. Moon Blade New Effect: Gain 25 Bonus Health with each enemy hit, up to a max of 100. 3 seconds after the Bonus Health stops increasing, it will start to falloff at a rate of 20 per second. Speed up Moonlight Hook pull startup time after hit from 0.4 seconds to 0.15 seconds. Extend the duration of the Hand of Khonshu (Ultimate Ability) from 3.5 seconds to 4.5 seconds, and increase the number of talons generated during this period from 14 to 18. Additionally, the fall speed of the talons has been slightly enhanced. A new damage falloff mechanic for the spell field has been added, beginning at 1.5 metres from the center and reaching a maximum reduction of 70 per cent at 5 metres. Scarlet Witch – We're reducing Wanda's survivability but increasing her threat level against Strategists and Duelists while optimizing her Ultimate Ability release experience. Remove Chaos Control percentage damage while increasing fixed damage from 60/s to 80/s. Increase Chthonian Burst projectile damage from 35 to 40 and spell field damage from 35 to 40. Increase the cooldown of Mystic Projection from 8 seconds to 10 seconds, and reduce Phased state time from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds. Rework the slow effect of Reality Erasure to start at 1.5 seconds instead of starting immediately, with a linear increase to a 35 per cent slow over 3.5 seconds. Star-Lord – We're reducing Peter's damage output and the efficiency of his Ultimate Ability charge rate. Reduce Blaster Barrage damage from 80 per second to 75. Introduce a new damage falloff mechanic, starting at 4 metres and maxing out at 80 per cent reduction at 8 metres. Winter Soldier – We're lowering Bucky's threat level against Vanguards and reducing the margin for error in his Ultimate Ability. Increase the cooldown time for Bionic Hook from 8 seconds to 12 seconds. Reduce base damage of Kraken Impact (Ultimate Ability) from 100 to 80, but lower the culling threshold from 20 per cent of maximum health to 15 per cent. Wolverine – We're tuning Logan's Rage acquisition rate and slightly lowering his control intensity over enemies: Increase Rage gained from Savage Claw hits from 7 to 10, while Rage gained from Berserk Claw Strike has been decreased from 7 to 5. Reduce Rage gained from Feral Leap from 20 to 10, and from Vicious Rampage from 20 to 15. However, Rage gained from taking damage has been increased from 3 to 5. Reduce the time an enemy is knocked down after impact from Last Stand (Ultimate Ability) from 1 second to 0.75 seconds. Strategist Adam Warlock – We're slightly reducing the frequency of Adam's abilities and adjusting the healing provided by his Ultimate Ability after reviving teammates. Increase the cooldown for Soul Bond from 30s to 40s. Karmic Revival (Ultimate Ability) now restores 30 per cent of a fallen ally's maximum health instead of a fixed 100 Health. Cloak and Dagger – We're optimizing the logic of this dynamic duo's Ultimate Ability After activating Eternal Bond (Ultimate Ability), the duration of the first three healing zones will no longer be calculated separately; instead, they will remain active until the duration of the final healing zone ends, at which point all will be removed together. Invisible Woman – We're be fine-tuning Susan's protective capabilities to create a more strategic gameplay experience. Decrease the shield value of Guardian Shield from 300 to 250. Loki – To balance Loki's influence in matches, we're making a small adjustment to the frequency of one of his key abilities. Increase Regeneration Domain cooldown from 25 seconds to 30 seconds. Mantis – To emphasize strategy over speed, we're modifying Mantis' health and buff mechanics. Reduce base health from 275 to 250. Effects of Healing Flower and Allied Inspiration can be stacked, up to a maximum of 16 seconds. Rocket Raccoon – Rocket's healing abilities will see some adjustments to enhance team survivability while balancing his mobility. Decrease the healing area of Repair Mode spheres from 70 health/s to 50 health/s, but add a new effect of one-time healing of 55 health to allies hit. Projectile speed reduction increased from 4.5 m/s to 7 m/s. Extend cooldown for Jetpack Dash from 6 seconds to 10 seconds; reduce dash distance from 10 metres to 8 metres. Reduce C.Y.A. (Ultimate Ability) damage boost from 40 per cent to 25 per cent, but add a new effect: during the ability's duration, linked allies will receive an additional 100 Bonus Health points per second, capping at 150. After breaking the link, this bonus starts to falloff after 1 second at a rate of 75 per/s. Additionally, increase the energy cost from 3700 to 4000. New Team-Up Abilities Arcane Order (Doctor Strange - Scarlet Witch) This mystical duo is set to enhance their powers! As the Team-Up Anchor, Doctor Strange gains a maximum health increase of 100. Scarlet Witch unlocks a new magical Mystic Burst ability through her team-up with Doctor Strange. Stars Aligned (Captain America - Winter Soldier) A classic partnership now with added strength! As the Team-Up Anchor, Captain America gains a maximum health increase of 100 and a 5 per cent boost in damage output. Winter Soldier unlocks the devastating Stellar Impact ability through his team-up with Captain America. Mental Projection (Emma Frost - Psylocke/Magneto) A powerful trio that connects minds and abilities! As the Team-Up Anchor, Emma Frost gains a maximum health increase of 100. Magneto receives the Magnetic Resonance ability through his team-up with Emma Frost. Psylocke receives the Soul Resurgence ability through her team-up with Emma Frost. Adjusted or Removed Team-Up Abilities Ammo Overload (Rocket Racoon - Winter Soldier) A slight change for this battle-hardened hero! Winter Soldier loses the Infinite Grit ability he once had through his team-up with Rocket Raccoon. Chilling Charisma (Luna Snow - Namor) Things are heating up as synergies change! Namor has lost the Frozen Spawn ability from his team-up with Luna Snow. Dimensional Shortcut (Magik - Psylocke) A temporal reconfiguration for these powerful souls! Psylocke has lost the Psionic Disc ability previously attained from her team-up with Magik. Gamma Charge (Hulk -Doctor Strange/Namor) Changes in synergy for these heavyweights! Doctor Strange loses the Gamma Maelstrom ability previously gained from his team-up with Hulk. Namor now gains the Gamma Monstro ability through his team-up with Hulk. Metallic Chaos (Scarlet Witch - Magneto) A disconnect in family synergy! The Team-Up Anchor enhancement effect for Scarlet Witch has been removed, along with the Metallic Chaos Team-Up Ability. Magneto loses the Metallic Fusion ability he had through his team-up with Scarlet Witch. Voltaic Union (Thor - Captain America/Storm) A shift in electrical dynamics for this trio! The Team-Up Anchor effect for Thor has been removed, along with the Voltaic Union Team-Up Ability. Captain America loses the Charged Aegis ability from his team-up with Thor. Storm loses the Charged Gale ability gained from her team-up with Thor. Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals tier list: The best characters Marvel Rivals trophy guide: Full list of achievements Marvel Rivals player count: How many have picked it up? Will Marvel Rivals come to Switch: Director comments on handheld options Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
WandaVision's Elizabeth Olsen says Marvel films are "not really the art I consume"
Olsen gained worldwide recognition for her roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Elizabeth Olsen has described how her own taste in film doesn't always align with her roles, particularly in reference to her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Appearing on NPR’s Wild Card With Rachel Martin podcast, Olsen said of her Marvel role as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch: “I think I haven’t always successfully made choices in my work that are aligned with my personal taste and that is something I feel like I’m still trying to prove when I meet people. “Especially if it’s a work type meeting and be able to express my personal taste in films and literature, and so I still think I have that to prove.” She went on: “Because I have spent so many years doing Marvel that I feel like all the other jobs I have to do have to really reflect my personal taste because as much as I love being a part of this world — and I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do with the character — it’s not really the art that I consume. Which I have been very honest about.” More recently, Olsen has starred in independent films like His Three Daughters and The Assessment, having last starred as her MCU character in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Speaking about joining the MCU in the first place, Olsen said: "I thought they were such great Greek-type scale stories that reflected politics, culture in a really lovely way. “And so I felt really proud to jump into it. And then, within the last 10 years, it’s taken on this narrative of like, it’s like a hot take, whether an actor says they want to, they would never do a Marvel movie or not.” Read more: A Minecraft Movie is "not the canonised version of Minecraft lore", says director Succession creator's new film sets premiere date – with first look at starry cast Olsen's character is arguably one of the biggest in the MCU, having starred in numerous films and her own hit series WandaVision, which gave fans further insight into her character and has left many pining for more. Olsen initially debuted as Scarlet With in a post-credits scene in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier before going on to star in Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015, Captain America: Civil War in 2016 and then the resulting Avengers movies. She is set to reprise her role as Wanda/Scarlet Witch – although in a voice acting capacity only – in the upcoming animated Marvel Zombies series. Fantastic Four: First Steps is coming to cinemas on 25th July 2025. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Avengers movie directors are "definitely open" to making Marvel games – but they have other gaming plans first
Could the Russo brothers breathe new life into Marvel gaming?
With Marvel continually branching into the world of gaming, fans will be excited to hear that the Russo brothers, known for co-directing Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and two Captain America films, have expressed a potential interest in creating Marvel games. The pair are set to direct the next Avengers films, 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. However, with their most recent film, The Electric State, set to release on Netflix this week, the Russo brothers' production company, AGBO, has developed a tie-in mobile game, The Electric State: Kid Cosmo, in collaboration with the streaming platform. With AGBO expanding into gaming, following the $400 million investment made by South Korean gaming giant Nexon in 2022, it is very plausible the brothers could help develop future Marvel gaming titles. The excitement around this possibility came up in an interview with Variety, where the Russos declared that they wouldn’t say no to the opportunity to develop games tied to their upcoming Marvel films, but that their focus is on large-scale transmedia projects based on original ideas. "We would definitely be open to it," Joe Russo said when asked about the potential for a Marvel gaming project, sat alongside his brother and collaborator, Anthony Russo. "Right now, what we’re doing is creating new IP. At AGBO, we want to tell new stories." Fortnite co-creator, Donald Mustard, joined the AGBO team as a partner in late 2023 following his departure from Epic Games. Joe Russo said in the interview: "Anthony and I and Donald are working together to build out new worlds. And we have three that we’re currently working on that the intention is, for every world we build to have the scale and depth of a Star Wars universe, but in a different genre." Joe Russo also emphasised Mustard’s core involvement within AGBO, adding: "We have a new partner at the company who is one of the greatest game developers in history, Donald Mustard, he’s the creator of Fortnite, and he’s come in now to work with us on building out what we think the future of storytelling could be, which is, some hybrid between linear and virtual and gaming. And we’re really interested in new ways to tell stories using technology. "And so the three of us together are trying to explore and ideate around what opportunities there could be over the next decade using new tools and new technology to tell stories and can we make it can we make it true transmedia, where the same assets that we’re using for CG in movies is also the same assets that are in the game, that are also the same assets in a virtual experience. And that’s the mission of AGBO currently, at the moment." View Green Video on the source website With the MCU becoming more integrated in the video game medium as demonstrated with last year’s Marvel Rivals, the future of Marvel in the gaming world looks bright. Coupled with the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, the Russos next cinematic ventures are guaranteed to increase fan interest in an AGBO developed Marvel game. Whether this will come to fruition, only time will tell. In the here and now, Insomniac has done amazing work with Spider-Man in gaming, and we're very intrigued to see their Wolverine game soon. Plus, NetEase has hit big recently with Marvel Rivals, so we'd say that Marvel games are in pretty good health right now. Watch this space for all the latest updates going forward! Read more on Gaming: Avengers: Doomsday cast confirmed as Marvel shares dramatic unveiling Why isn't Two Point Museum on Switch? We asked the developers Atomfall preview – Postman Pat meets Stalker and Fallout: New Vegas Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals player count: How many people are playing?
During its short lifespan, Marvel Rivals has managed to become one of the most popular games of 2025. NetEase Games' hero shooter sees millions load into the action as their favourite characters from the Marvel universe with the aim of defeating the other team and securing outright victory. It's available across all next-gen consoles as well as PC, with crossplay being praised for how effortless it's made the experience. Not to mention the free-to-play element has to be taken into account. The number of players playing is constantly changing. Here, we've got everything there is to know about the Marvel Rivals player count and whether it's falling, steady, or continuing to rise. Marvel Rivals player count – How many people are playing? As of writing, the 24-hour peak of Marvel Rivals players on Steam was 318,993. That's approximately half of its all-time peak, which is 644,269 players (via SteamDB) Despite the decline, the number of players is continuing to hold strong as fans of the game continue to play casual and competitive matches. Marvel Rivals sales numbers – How many people have downloaded the game? View oEmbed on the source website NetEase Games has confirmed that Marvel Rivals has been downloaded by 20 million people! That’s an impressive number, and one that has continued to climb. You might be asking why there are so many players in Marvel Rivals. The answer is simple enough: It’s free to play and from Marvel. While not every free-to-play game manages to earn overnight success and build a big player base after a week, Marvel Rivals has managed both those things. People like Marvel, we guess. Marvel Rivals is available across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Read more on Marvel Rivals: Is Marvel Rivals free? - what you can pay for Marvel Rivals crossplay - is it cross-platform? Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops - how to claim Marvel Rivals team-ups explained - all combinations Will Marvel Rivals be on PS4? - platforms explained Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Captain America: Brave New World ending explained and post-credits scene spoilers
Everything you need to know about Anthony Mackie's first big screen outing as Captain America.
*Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Captain America: Brave New World. * The MCU is back on the big screen, for the first of three brand-new movies releasing this year. Captain America: Brave New World sees Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson firmly in the role of Captain America after taking it on from Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in Avengers: Endgame and struggling to come to terms with it in Disney Plus's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The film may have arrived to a lacklustre critical reception and fan reaction, but it has so far taken in an impressive box office haul over its first few days, meaning plenty of viewers have already seen how things play out for Sam in his battle against Tim Blake Nelson's The Leader and Harrison Ford's Red Hulk. The film also sees Danny Ramirez's Joaquín Torres take on the mantle of the Falcon from Sam, while it picks up a number of plot threads from previous Marvel movies that fans thought had been forgotten. But how does the film come to an end and how does it set up the rest of the Multiverse Saga? Here's everything you need to know about the ending and post-credits scene for Captain America: Brave New World. Captain America: Brave New World ending explained: What happens to President Thaddeus Ross? As Brave New World opens, we see the world at the brink of war over the discovery of Adamantium and the Celestial Island (remember that plot line from Eternals?). Ford's President Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross is on a mission to strike a worldwide treaty assuring fair distribution of the Adamantium – plus, he casually asks Sam to rebuild The Avengers. Of course, that has now planted the first seed for the next Avengers films, Secret Wars and Doomsday. But when Sam's friend, war veteran Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) seemingly attempts to assassinate the President during a visit to the White House, the world is thrown into chaos. Isaiah insists it wasn't him and Sam must get to the bottom of what has happened to his friend. Things are only made worse when it's revealed that Ross had previously trusted Dr Samuel Sterns (played by a returning Tim Blake Nelson) with his health after a heart failure – before imprisoning him. Sterns, whose disfigured appearance is down to an unfortunate exposure to gamma radiation, attempts to wreak revenge on Ross, poisoning him with pills that, in turn, expose the President to gamma radiation, turning him into the Red Hulk. Not only that, Sterns is hell-bent on destroying Ross's legacy and treaty and, after years of experimenting, manages to influence men in the President's inner circle by means of mind control, almost causing a war on Earth that Sam and Joaquín barely manage to stop. Alongside all of this, we meet Giancarlo Esposito's menacing (but ultimately sidelined) Sidewinder, King of the Serpent Society, Sam is forced to grapple with the fact that he's Not Steve Rogers and deal with some imposter syndrome (with little to no interrogation on that) and we're introduced to the new Falcon, Joaquín, who has a passably fun chemistry with Sam. By the end of the film, following a dramatic scene of Ford's Ross Hulking out, the President accepts a jail sentence, with Wilson going to visit him at The Raft. In accepting his sentence, he wins back some affection from his estranged daughter, Dr Betty Ross (played by a returning Liv Tyler). Despite Ross's fall from grace, the treaty goes through, meaning the world is (for now) at peace. Joaquín, who almost dies after plunging himself into the Indian Ocean, recovers in hospital, having a deep meaningful chat with Sam about the cost of their positions. View oEmbed on the source website Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who's running to become a congressman, pays Sam a visit, seemingly just to give him a little hug, and Isaiah is freed from prison. But what of Samuel Sterns? Captain America: Brave New World post-credits scene explained: How does it set up the future of the MCU? A post-credits scene sees Samuel Sterns/The Leader warn Sam about various multiverse threats coming their way, as it teases Marvel's future. He tells him: “All you heroes protecting this world, do you think you’re the only ones? You think this is the only world? "We’ll see what happens when you have to protect this place from the others.” He doesn't get more specific than that, but with the release of Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps inching ever closer, it's clear there are many more dangers on the horizon. The tease also sets up Avengers: Secret Wars, which will see our heroes have to battle other heroes and villains from alternate universes to save the day Captain America: Brave New World is out now. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £4.99 a month or £79.90 a year now. Check out the rest of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals characters list: All playable heroes and new characters
The Marvel Rivals character list is expanding all the time, with new heroes and villains being added as playable characters each season. With Season 1 now hurtling towards its conclusion, the collection of characters only continues to grow with the Fantastic 4 all being added. We'll need to update our tier list again soon! All the characters have extra skins to be unlocked/purchased, too, with some even being released as codes. On top of what has already been confirmed, there are a load of leaked Marvel Rivals characters, all rumoured to be coming to the game before long. Keep reading below to find the full Marvel Rivals roster, including who the latest new characters are and who has been leaked/rumoured. You'll find the full roster of current playable heroes and villains at the end of the page with information about them and their class, too! New Marvel Rivals characters explained The newest additions to Marvel Rivals are the Fantastic Four. They were added in Marvel Rivals season 1, which began on Friday 10th January 2025. Below are the four new characters being introduced and what class they are: Mister Fantastic (Dualist) The Invisible Woman (Strategist) The other two Fantastic Four members, The Thing and the Human Torch, are also set to arrive during Season 1 on 21st February 2025. View oEmbed on the source website On top of the above characters who have already arrived, plenty of leaks have dropped about who might be arriving later on. All leaks may not come to pass, but these rumours have been pretty accurate so far. Here's every leaked character, rumoured to be coming in the future: Angela Beast Blade Captain Marvel Colossus Cyclops Daredevil Deadpool Emma Frost Gambit Hit-Monkey The Hood Jean Grey Jia Jing Jubilee Locus MODOK Nightcrawler Paste-Pot Pete Professor X Rogue Ultron Valkyrie Marvel Rivals characters list at a glance Below are all the playable characters in Marvel Rivals at present: Black Panther Doctor Strange Groot The Punisher Hela Iron Man Loki Rocket Raccoon Mantis Peni Parker Magneto Magik Spider-Man Venom Scarlet Witch Star-Lord Storm Luna Snow Hulk Namor Adam Warlock Jeff the Land Shark Thor Black Widow Captain America Cloak and Dagger Hawkeye Iron Fist Moon Knight Psylocke Squirrel Girl Winter Soldier Wolverine Mister Fantastic Invisible Woman That makes for a total of 33 heroes. If and when more are added, we will update this list as it goes on. For a more comprehensive look at individual characters, click on each to see who is who and what class they are. Full Marvel Rivals characters roster Below you can see all the characters in Marvel Rivals in a bit more detail. We've got their class and backstory listed, courtesy of the Marvel Rivals website. Characters are one of three classes: Duelist - DPS Vanguard - Tank Strategist - Support Black Panther Class – Duelist T'Challa, King of Wakanda, wields the perfect blend of the cutting-edge Vibranium technology and ancestral power drawn from the Panther God, Bast. The Black Panther bides his time until elegantly infiltrating enemy lines and commencing his hunt. Doctor Strange Class – Vanguard As the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Stephen Strange gracefully wields ancient spells to turn the tide of even the most impossible battle. However, magic always comes at a cost, and each use of his arcane abilities gradually awakens the darkness within him. Groot Class – Vanguard A flora colossus from Planet X, the alien known as Groot exhibits enhanced vitality and the ability to manipulate all forms of vegetation. As sturdy as a towering tree, Groot forges his own way, serving as the team's silent but reliable pathfinder. The Punisher Class – Duelist Expertly wielding a full arsenal of futuristic weapons, Frank Castle is a formidable one-man army. With a steadfast resolve to deliver justice to his enemies, The Punisher won't cease in his mission until every last round is fired! View Green Video on the source website Hela Class – Duelist As the Goddess of Death, Hela wields supreme control over the fallen souls residing in Hel. With a haunting whisper and a murder of crows, the queen of the underworld gracefully reaps the souls of her enemies without an ounce of mercy. Iron Man Class – Duelist Armed with superior intellect and a nanotech battlesuit of his own design, Tony Stark stands alongside gods as the Invincible Iron Man. His state-of-the-art armour turns any battlefield into his personal playground, allowing him to steal the spotlight he so desperately desires. Loki Class – Strategist What greater thrill is there for the God of Mischief than to outsmart his foes? The cunning trickster Loki uses his illusions and shapeshifting abilities to weave in and out of combat, toying with enemies at every turn. Rocket Raccoon Class – Strategist Rocket may not look like a tech genius or an expert tactician, but anyone who's ever made his hit list has quickly regretted underestimating him. This savvy space soldier is equally eager to boost his teammates and to collect bounties on his foes. Mantis Class – Strategist Mantis uses her impressive mental abilities and her penchant for plant control to anchor any team she fights alongside. Her powers tap into a limitless flow of life energy, gently nourishing everything she touches. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Peni Parker Class – Vanguard Peni Parker may be young, but she bravely stands on the frontlines to protect the Web of Life and Destiny. Together, this teen prodigy and her state-of-the-art mech, the sensational SP//dr, make for the most thrilling duo on the battlefield! Magneto Class – Vanguard The Master of Magnetism bends even the strongest metal to his whims, shielding his allies and striking at his foes. Whether he calls himself Max Eisenhardt, Erik Lehnsherr or simply Magneto, the hardships this warrior has endured have made him as unbreakable as the steel he brandishes. Magik Class – Duelist Trained in the dark arts and wielding her mighty Soulsword, Magik leaps through portals to navigate the arena with ease. Once Illyana transforms into the demonic Darkchylde, all who dare stand against her will fall before her merciless blade. Spider-Man Class – Duelist Swinging around the arena on his signature weblines, your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, AKA Peter Parker, catches his rivals by surprise with sneaky, sticky bursts of webbing and unexpected attacks from above. Look out… here comes the Spider-Man! Venom Class – Vanguard Using his symbiote-enhanced body as the perfect living weapon, Eddie Brock and his alien ally stand ever-ready to unleash vicious attacks upon anyone he deems an enemy. Those ensnared by Venom's tentacles have no choice but to surrender to this insatiable predator. Scarlet Witch Class – Duelist Wanda Maximoff is adept at harnessing formidable chaos magic, casting hexes with the power to twist and reshape reality itself. Energy, space and matter are mere playthings in the hands of Scarlet Witch! Star-Lord Class – Duelist Peter Quill lives to dazzle his foes on the battlefield with his signature swagger. As his element guns paint arcs of devastation, his acrobatic moves sail through the sky with unrivalled style. With performances this spectacular, it's no wonder that Star-Lord is so legendary! Storm Class – Duelist An Omega-level Mutant ability to manipulate weather patterns makes Ororo Munroe a force to be reckoned with. Rain or shine, thunder or lightning, nature itself bends to the command of the Goddess of the Storm! Luna Snow Class – Strategist Equal parts pop star and super hero, Luna Snow puts on a dazzling show with both her light and dark ice powers. The arena is her stage, where Seol Hee and her team orchestrate spectacular displays that earn her an ever-increasing number of fans and wins. The Hulk Class – Vanguard Brilliant scientist Dr Bruce Banner has finally found a way to coexist with his monstrous alter ego, the Hulk. By accumulating gamma energy over multiple transformations, he can become a wise and strong Hero Hulk or a fierce and destructive Monster Hulk – a true force of fury on the battlefield! Namor Class – Duelist The unrivaled King of the Seas, Namor surfs into battle on a mighty wave with an army of fierce aquatic creatures in his wake. When ancient horns of war blare, devastation soon follows as deadly waters engulf the arena. Adam Warlock Class – Strategist The genetically-engineered Adam Warlock wields mighty Quantum Magic, allowing him to connect and heal souls with a gentle touch. When the time comes for his allies to unite, Warlock emerges as the unwavering epicenter of cosmic justice! Jeff the Land Shark Class – Strategist Most land sharks are vicious creatures of the deep... but not Jeff! This adorable and mischievous little land shark brings splashes of joy and healing to every battle. But if the tide turns, Jeff can morph into a voracious beast, swallowing an army of foes in one giant gulp! Thor Class – Vanguard The son of Odin taps into his divine power to call forth thunder and lightning, raining down relentless fury upon his enemies. With his mighty hammer Mjolnir in hand, Thor effortlessly asserts his dominance on the field of combat. Black Widow Class –Duelist As the world's most elite spy, she's unrivaled with her sniper rifle. With her flawless precision to strike at a distance and use of shock batons to swiftly neutralise threats up close, it's not just her Widow's Bite that's fatal. Captain America Class – Vanguard Enhanced by the Super-Soldier Serum, Steven Rogers uses his Vibranium shield and extensive combat training to confront any threat to justice. When Captain America rallies his troops, a wave of courage sweeps across the battlefield! Cloak and Dagger Class – Strategist Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen are nearly inseparable, like two sides of the same coin. Intertwined by forces of shadow and light, Cloak and Dagger fight as a united front, dealing havoc and healing allies across the arena. Hawkeye Class – Duelist Despite his lack of superpowers, Hawkeye's unparalleled skills as a marksman have earned him a spot alongside Earth's mightiest heroes. With a cool head and steady hand, Clint Barton never misses a target… so enemies best stay out of his sights! Iron Fist Class – Duelist Embody Lin Lie who was gifted an ancient and divine weapon, the Sword of Fu Xi, and wields the power to defeat demons and mystical forces. Make good use of the ability to amplify the iron fist to reach unimaginable strength, giving the power to take on anyone who gets in the way. Moon Knight Class – Duelist Blessed with ancient power, the Fist of Khonshu will take on any battlefield until he reigns victorious. Psylocke Class – Duelist The psychic warrior known as Sai has the Mutant ability to conjure a variety of weapons with the power of her mind. Gracefully gliding across the battlefield, this trained ninja can shatter the enemy's defences with a single thought. Squirrel Girl Class – Duelist Despite being loved and surrounded by her BFFFS (Best Furry Friends Forever), Doreen Green had always questioned the root of her powers. With time, she embraced her squirrel-like abilities, no matter their origin, and set her heart on becoming the best super hero there is. Winter Soldier Class – Duelist Terrifying experiments turned him into a brainwashed assassin, but now James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes is in control of his own fate once again. With his enhanced mechanical arm, the Winter Soldier is primed to deliver earth-shattering blows to any foe in his path! Wolverine Class – Duelist Thanks to his regenerative healing factor and berserker rage, the centuries-old Logan can fight through the worst pain to go claw-to-claw with any foe. The Wolverine stands ready to shred through all obstacles in his way with his Adamantium claws. Mister Fantastic Class – Duelist Reed Richards believes that true strength comes from remaining flexible, both mentally and physically. Mister Fantastic's elastic body, which can twist and stretch into any form with ease, is almost as impressive as his brilliant mind. Invisible Woman Class – Strategist The Invisible Woman is able to slip in and out of sight without a trace. No matter how intense the battle may be, Susan Richards always keeps her cool, conjuring up impenetrable force fields to protect herself and her team. Read more on Marvel: Marvel Games boss talks multiverse, MCU and more: "We're cutting loose" Anthony Mackie on Twisted Metal: "The Marvel thing is completely different" The Stan Lee wisdom that inspired Marvel's Future Revolution mobile game Avengers game Hawkeye actor Giacomo Gianniotti on dogs, dystopia and "difficult" Hulk fight Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
When is Marvel Rivals mid-season update? Date confirmed and what to expect
Since launching in December, Marvel Rivals has been a huge fit with fans with over 20 million players downloading the game to date. The third-person hero shooter then entered its first official season in January and is now set for a mid-season update, which has already caused some discontent. Developed by NetEase Games, the Chinese studio initially planned to reset players' rankings before an outcry from fans made them rethink the new update. So, while it's been a mad 24 hours with things chopping and changing, we now have some firm details of what to expect. Not only do we have a release date for the Marvel Rivals mid-season update but we now know when the remaining Fantastic Four line-up will join. Thankfully for anyone who is a fan of Ben Grimm/The Thing and Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, they won't have to wait much longer. When is Marvel Rivals mid-season update? Marvel Rivals mid-season update is set to take place on 21st February 2025 – more specifically, this is when the first half of the season will conclude at 8am on that date. The original idea was to reset player rankings on this date. However, developer NetEase walked this back following the response from fans. "After the release of Dev Talk 10 regarding the seasonal rank adjustment, we received a wealth of feedback from the community," wrote NetEase in a blog post. "A common concern was the pressure associated with having a rank reset every half-season, which has made participating in competitive mode less enjoyable. In light of the community's input, we have decided to make some changes to optimise the rank system." The statement then goes on to address the new changes. What to expect from the Marvel Rivals mid-season update The headline feature of the Marvel Rivals mid-season update is that The Thing and Human Torch will be added to the Marvel Rivals update on 21st February. They follow the rollout of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman on 10th January, now completing The Fantastic Four in its entirety. This is no doubt to tie in with the upcoming Marvel Studios movie – The Fantastic Four: First Steps – starring Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby. No mid-season rank reset will now take place with players keeping their ranks and scores earned from the first half. To earn new rewards, 10 matches in Competitive mode need to be participated in alongside meeting the relevant conditions by the end of the season. These rewards will include a new Gold rank costume and a variety of Crests of Honor, including "distinct designs" for Grandmaster, Celestial, Eternity and the One Above All rankings. Likewise, once the mid-season update is implemented, players who are at Gold rank will receive a costume reward. In addition to this, those who are ranked as Grandmaster and above will receive the Crests of Honors while a further Crest of Honor for the top 500 players (One Above All). Marvel Rivals is available across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Will Doctor Doom be in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?
Fans are eager to see the Robert Downey Jr villain.
It's been a long time coming, but it's finally almost time to welcome Marvel's first family in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The upcoming film has been teased for a long time, but fans were finally treated to a trailer, introducing cast members Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing. But, with the trailer focusing on villain Galactus, voiced by Ralph Ineson, fans are wondering if the next big bad of the MCU, Doctor Doom, played by a returning Robert Downey Jr, will appear. Here's everything we know so far. Will Doctor Doom appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? While there's not been an official confirmation, yes, we'd expect Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom to appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, the film is clearly focused on Galactus as its main antagonist so we'd only expect Doom to play a small role, or even have a cameo appearance, as the setup begins for Avengers: Doomsday. View oEmbed on the source website Our guess would be that Doom will appear in a mid-credits or post-credits scene, much like Thanos did when he was teased as the big bad for the Infinity Saga. The Fantastic Four: First Steps will take place in a different universe to the main MCU timeline (the "sacred timeline" if you will), and we know that Doctor Doom also hails from a different timeline - so could these two timelines be the same one? Who plays Doctor Doom in the MCU? Of course, Robert Downey Jr will take on the role of Doctor Doom in the MCU. The news was announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Downey took to the stage in Hall H wearing the Doctor Doom mask and outfit in front of hundreds of stunned Marvel fans, going on to say: "New mask, same task." It was also revealed that Infinity War and Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo will return to helm the two new Avengers movies, with the former of the films retitled from The Kang Dynasty to Doomsday. In the past Doctor Doom has been played by Julian McMahon in the 2005 film and its 2007 sequel, and Toby Kebbell in the 2015 film. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is coming to cinemas on 25th July 2025. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops explained: What you need to do
If you're looking to get more out of your Marvel Rivals game and your Twitch viewing experience, you'll want to make the most of Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops. When a Rivals Twitch Drops event is live, you can earn free in-game rewards including new Sprays, Nameplates, Emotes and even Costumes. Once you have earned a reward by watching Drops Enabled Twitch streams, you can claim them on the Twitch Drop Inventory page and then find them in your Marvel Rivals inbox in-game. It's worth noting that in-game emails last just 30 days. Claim those Twitch Drops rewards quickly! Read on to find out everything there is to know about how to get Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops rewards and how to connect your accounts. Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops explained: What you need to do To earn Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops, you need to watch a Twitch stream in the Marvel Rivals category, enable Twitch Drops and watch for at least 30 minutes before receiving a Drop. As of writing, the Twitch Drops Season 1 part 1 event is taking place. It began on 10th January 2025 and comes to an end at 11:30 pm (UK time) on 25th January 2025. We will update this page as more drops are announced throughout the game's life. You can also find the latest Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops news on the news page of the official Marvel Rivals website. Here are all of the rewards on offer until 25th January below: Watch 30 mins: Hela [Will of Galacta] Spray Watch 1 hour: Hela [Will of Galacta] Nameplate Watch 4 hours: Hela [Will of Galacta] Costume View Green Video on the source website How to connect Marvel Rivals to Twitch To connect Marvel Rivals to Twitch, you need to head to the official Marvel Rivals website and log in to both Marvel Rivals and Twitch. Once you have followed the steps on the Marvel Rivals website and have logged in to both your game account and Twitch account, you should be able to claim any Twitch Drops rewards. Remember, you need to watch Twitch streams with the 'DropsEnabled' tag for long enough to earn your Drops rewards in-game. Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals codes - full list and how to redeem Is Marvel Rivals free? - what you can pay for Marvel Rivals characters - full list of playable heroes and villains Marvel Rivals crossplay - is it cross-platform? Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops - how to claim Marvel Rivals team-ups explained - all combinations Will Marvel Rivals be on PS4? - platforms explained Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals Spring Festival event confirmed: Dates and what to expect
A brand new event is taking place in Marvel Rivals – The Spring Festival: Fortune and Colours event! The Chinese New Year-themed event brings with it a new game mode, new outfits for three characters and even a commemorative Gallery Card. One of the outfits is completely free to unlock, too! We’ll let you in on how to unlock the new Fortune and Colours event-themed skins in the article below. Keep reading to find out everything there is to know about the new Marvel Rivals Spring Festival event, including what to expect from its new mode, how to unlock its themed costumes and more. When is the Marvel Rivals Spring Festival event? The Marvel Rivals Spring Festival event begins on Thursday 23rd January at 9am UK time and ends on Friday 14th February at 8:59am UK time. This means that the Fortune and Colours event lasts just over three weeks, which should give you enough time to make the most of its new mode and unlock its commemorative Gallery Card: Of Festivals and Friends. Speaking of the commemorative Gallery Card and new mode, it’s time to learn precisely what’s included in the Spring Festival event. View Green Video on the source website What’s included in the Marvel Rivals Spring Festival event? New mode: Clash of Dancing Lions In the new Clash of Dancing Lions mode, you play as Iron Fist, Star-Lord and/or Black Widow. Matches in this mode take place in a Chinese New Year-themed version of Wakanda’s World Arena. You can see it in action in the trailer below: View oEmbed on the source website Two teams of three made up of the characters listed above take part in a game of what’s essentially football. Get the most points to win! New costumes: Clashing Lions series During the event, you can unlock three new costumes (you can see them all in the image above): Star-Lord – Lion’s Mane | Free to unlock Black Widow – Lion’s Heartbeat | Will be in the in-game store from 23rd January until 14th February Iron Fist – Lion’s Gaze | Will be in the in-game store from 23rd January until 14th February Commemorative Gallery Card and other rewards Complete event missions and you’ll earn Danqing. Any Danqing earned will fill in an illustration – complete it and you’ll unlock the Of Festivals and Friends Gallery Card. Other rewards include an event-themed Nameplate and more. Now you know what the event is all about, it’s time to dive in and play the Marvel Rivals Spring Festival event and unlock all its nifty rewards! Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals codes - full list and how to redeem Is Marvel Rivals free? - what you can pay for Marvel Rivals characters - full list of playable heroes and villains Marvel Rivals crossplay - is it cross-platform? Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops - how to claim Marvel Rivals team-ups explained - all combinations Will Marvel Rivals be on PS4? - platforms explained Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals update (22nd January): What changes in today's patch notes?
Here is what changes in the latest patch notes.
Another day, another new Marvel Rivals update. Today's (22nd January) update brings with it The Spring Festival: Fortune and Colours event! This new event adds a new mode – Clash of Dancing Lions. On top of the new event, there's also your usual batch gameplay, character and general bug fixes in the update version 20250122 patch notes. Following on from the introduction of its first full season and four new characters being added to the mix, this new event helps to keep things fresh. Read on to find the full list of Marvel Rivals version 20250122 patch notes to discover everything that's changed in the 22nd January update. What's changed in the latest Marvel Rivals update? The Marvel Rivals update today (22nd January) brings with it the introduction of The Spring Festival: Fortune and Colours event! Fortune and Colours begins on 23rd January and comes to an end on 14th February. During the event, you can play a new mode: Clash of Dancing Lions. In this mode, you play on the Lunar New Year-themed World Arena map as Iron Fist, Star-Lord and Black Widow. Those three characters have a new event-themed costume, too! You can unlock Star-Lord's Lion Mane skin for free. There's also a list of bug fixes in this update. You can now view historical season rank information, too. Keep reading for the full list of Marvel Rivals version 20250122 patch notes. View Green Video on the source website Marvel Rivals patch notes Here is the full list of Marvel Rivals version 20250122 patch notes (courtesy of the game's official website): The Spring Festival: Fortune and Colours event Event Duration: 2025/23/01 09:00:00 ~ 2025/14/02 08:59:59 (UTC+0) Dive into the event to earn super rewards, including Star-Lord's "Lion's Mane" series costume rewards – completely FREE! New mode: Clash of Dancing Lions Commemorative Gallery Card: Of Festivals and Friends Clashing Lions costumes: 1. Star-Lord - Lion's Mane (Free to obtain during the Fortune & Colours event) 2. Black Widow - Lion's Heartbeat (Limited-time store release: 2025/23/01~2025/14/02 UTC+0) 3. Iron Fist - Lion's Gaze (Limited-time store release: 2025/23/01~2025/14/02 UTC+0) System Adjustments All Platforms General Optimised the alternate name feature in Streaming Mode, allowing players to define their own alternate names instead of relying on system-generated ones Added a season dropdown menu to the Leaderboard for easy access to different season rankings Enhanced the Career system by introducing a feature to view historical season rank information Bug Fixes All Platforms General Resolved an issue where the game would freeze after battles under certain conditions. Fixed an inconsistency with avatars when switching heroes while defeated in the Doom Match. Addressed an issue where if Winter Soldier's used his ultimate ability to defeat a shape-shifted Loki, it wouldn't count towards the ultimate ability consecutive KO achievement Corrected a delay in synchronising certain data on the Friends Leaderboard Maps and Gameplay Implemented a series of fixes for various performance issues related to destructible environments Resolved multiple instances where players could get stuck in unique terrain Addressed several Reverse-Destruction performance issues after destruction repaired in Empire of Eternal Night maps Hero Bug Fixes Hawkeye's Precision: Fixed an issue where Hawkeye's passive ability Focus progress would sometimes display incorrectly. It's now as accurate as he is Wolverine's Unyielding Berserk Claw Strike: Frame rate no longer affects the number of attacks in the enhanced Savage Claw after using Feral Leap Invisible Woman's Psionic Stranglehold: Mobility abilities for specific heroes are now fully operational within the range of Invisible Woman's Psionic Vortex - no more containment issues! Mister Fantastic Double Trouble: Addressed a bug where having two Mister Fantastic (like Loki in transformation) sometimes allowed one to reuse the second part of Distended Grip Namor and Invisible Woman: Fixed an issue preventing Namor and Invisible Woman from unleashing their ultimate abilities at certain door locations—now they can break through any barrier! Storm's Doppelganger: Resolved a problem where under low frame rate conditions, activating Storm's ultimate ability as Loki after transforming into her would be canceled Wolverine's Fury Corrected: Fixed an issue where Wolverine's ultimate ability occasionally wouldn't end properly after landing after being pulled back Heroic Hint Harmony: Corrected abnormal ping prompts for some heroes Magik's Misstep: Addressed a bug where Magik could not use Stepping Discs after activating her ultimate ability in certain situations Peni Parker's Precision: Fixed an issue where Peni's Bionic Spider-Nest would be unintentionally lifted along with the Klyntar device when raised—now, her tech remains grounded and ready for action! Loki's Transformation Tweaked: Resolved a problem where Loki, after using his ultimate ability to shapeshift into the Punisher, if Warrior's Gaze was triggered when the transform was about to end its effects lingered too long. The Warrior's Gaze effect will now fade as soon as the ultimate concludes—no more lingering vision trickery! Web-Slinging Adjustments: Fixed an issue where, in certain situations in Convoy Mode, if Peni Parker fired a Cyber-Web below the vehicle, her web would move with the vehicle. Now, her webbing sticks like it should Mister Fantastic's Resilience Restored: Resolved a bug where if Mister Fantastic was knocked offline while in his inflated state and then rejoined, Mister Fantastic might be unable to use some abilities after reconnecting. He's now back in action and ready to stretch into battle! Webbing Dynamics Corrected: Corrected an issue where Peni Parker's web being pulled back could be blocked by enemy heroes, leading to positional anomalies. Now, her webbing will behave as intended Camera Alignment Fixed: Fixed a camera misalignment issue that could occur while KO'd and revived by Adam Warlock while spectating Hela just as she rises up to launch her Ultimate Ability Console Fixed an issue where the crosshair movement would automatically stop at extremely low pushing angles on the Xbox controller Resolved a problem where the camera would automatically move for Xbox controller users after being KO'd in certain situations Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals codes - full list and how to redeem Is Marvel Rivals free? - what you can pay for Marvel Rivals characters - full list of playable heroes and villains Marvel Rivals crossplay - is it cross-platform? Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops - how to claim Marvel Rivals team-ups explained - all combinations Will Marvel Rivals be on PS4? - platforms explained Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals age rating: How old do you have to be to play it?
Your child has been nagging you to let them play Marvel Rivals, right? You wouldn’t be here otherwise. We’re here to let you know what the Marvel Rivals age rating is so you know how old you have to be to play it. As it is a free-to-play game (and based on the Marvel superheroes and villains), Rivals has become a popular game. We get it, you want to join in the fun and/or you don’t want your child to miss out. It’s understandable. It’s understandable, too, if you have any trepidation about letting your kid play the game in the fear of it being unsuitable. Fret not, though, as Rivals does have an age rating that details exactly what could be unsuitable. Keep reading to find out what the Marvel Rivals age rating is in the UK and the US. Scroll to the end of the page to discover why it has the age rating it does. What is the Marvel Rivals age rating? The Marvel Rivals age rating is PEGI 12 here in the UK, which means it is suitable for players aged 12 and over. In the US, meanwhile, Marvel Rivals has an ESRB 'T for Teen' age rating. If you’re under 12, it’s up to your parents if you’re allowed to play the game. Parents will need to decide whether the game is suitable. Fortunately, both PEGI and ESRB have provided reasons for the age ratings given to Marvel Rivals. More on that below. Read more on Marvel: Marvel Games boss talks multiverse, MCU and more: "We're cutting loose" Anthony Mackie on Twisted Metal: "The Marvel thing is completely different" The Stan Lee wisdom that inspired Marvel's Future Revolution mobile game Avengers game Hawkeye actor Giacomo Gianniotti on dogs, dystopia and "difficult" Hulk fight Why is Marvel Rivals that age rating? Marvel Rivals is rated PEGI 12 because it contains moderate violence, has in-game purchases – including random items – and players interact with each other. You can find the PEGI age rating on the PlayStation store listing of the game, which tells us that Marvel Rivals has "Moderate Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), [and] Users Interact". In the US, meanwhile, Marvel Rivals is rated T for Teen because of suggestive themes, violence, in-game purchases (including random items) and players interacting with each other. With all of that in mind, it’s up to you – the parent(s) – whether you let your child under 12 play the game or not. You can also download and play the game yourself to give it a go if you’re worried. It is free-to-play, after all. View Green Video on the source website Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals codes - full list and how to redeem Marvel Rivals characters - full list of playable heroes and villains Marvel Rivals crossplay - is it cross-platform? Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops - how to claim Marvel Rivals team-ups explained - all combinations Will Marvel Rivals be on PS4? - platforms explained Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals ranked: All ranks and Competitive Mode explained
Want to prove to everyone that you're the best at the game? You'll need to play Marvel Rivals Competitive Mode and rise through the ranks. There are many Marvel Rivals ranks to climb through, with Season Rewards available based on where you place. One reward in Season 1 is a new Invisible Woman costume, so playing Competitive is worth it! A word of warning, though: when you approach the highest ranks in Competitive, teamwork and synergy are key. You should take a look at our Marvel Rivals tier list to see which are the best characters to use. So, if you're thinking of trying your hand at the Marvel Rivals Competitive Mode and moving through the tiers in your quest to become a Celestial in Marvel Rivals Season 1 and beyond, here’s what you need to know. All Marvel Rivals ranks in Competitive Starting from Bronze III and going up to One Above All, these are all the current Marvel Rivals ranks available in Competitive: Bronze: Tier III-I Silver: Tier III-I Gold: Tier III-I Platinum: Tier III-I Diamond: Tier III-I Grandmaster: Tier III-I Celestial: Tier III-I Eternity One Above All (Top 500) Season 1 introduced a new rank - Celestial - between Grandmaster and Eternity, adding another three tiers to the competitive ladder. While Overwatch players may be used to a ranked system that places you into a specific tier after your placement matches, this is not the case for Marvel Rivals. All players begin in Bronze III. To progress from one tier to another, you will need to earn 100 points, meaning it will take 300 points to move from Bronze to Silver, and so on. There is no set number of points you gain from a victory, or lose from a defeat. It will vary dramatically based on your rank and performance. Finally, players also have a Chrono Shield, which protects you from a demotion after a loss. However, it will only work once before needing to recharge (by losing more games). Marvel Rivals Competitive rank reset explained When a new season of Marvel Rivals begins, all players will automatically drop down by seven tiers. This means that a player in Diamond I will then drop to Gold II, for example. Anyone who ends the season below Gold II will therefore drop back to the lowest tier of Bronze III. How do Competitive games work in Marvel Rivals? To compete in Marvel Rivals’ Competitive ranked mode, you need to reach Level 10. The Marvel Rivals Competitive mode offers a similar gameplay experience to the core gameplay you’ll be used to from Quick Play. The main difference between the modes comes when playing Convoy or Convergence modes. Unlike in Quick Play, where a team either attacks or defends for the whole match, both teams will attack and defend, with the winner being the team that makes it to the most checkpoints or moves the furthest. One additional difference comes when you reach the Diamond rank. From this level upwards, Marvel Rivals has a character ban system which lets players ban certain heroes from the match. As is often the case in competitive gaming, this gives teams the chance to block some of the more overpowered and dominating heroes in the current meta through a voting system, with Hela, Hawkeye and Luna Snow being among the most common picks for a ban. Marvel Rivals Competitive rewards The rewards available for Season 1 in Marvel Rivals are as follows: Blood Shield Invisible Woman Costume: Reach Gold III or higher Silver Crest of Honor: Reach Grandmaster III or higher Gold Crest of Honor: Be in the Top 500 players (One Above All Tier) at the end of the season These rewards (aside from the Gold Crest) are based on your highest rank of the season, so don’t worry if you drop down as you should still be eligible for the rewards. Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals codes: All free skins Marvel Rivals trophy guide: Full list of achievements Marvel Rivals player count: How many have picked it up? Will Marvel Rivals come to Switch: Director comments on handheld options Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals Lord Icons: How to get all Lord Icons explained
Want to show off to your mates and other players how good you are at playing a certain character? You’ll want to get hold of Lord Icons in Marvel Rivals. Unlocking a Lord Icon will take a good while, and getting all of them will take ages. If you want a Lord Icon, you’re best off focusing on playing as one particular character at a time. Play the game this way, too, and you’ll soon discover who your favourite characters are to use in the free-to-play online arena shooter. Keep reading to find out what Marvel Rivals Lord Icons are and how to get them all. What are Lord Icons in Marvel Rivals? Lord Icons are an unlockable item in Marvel Rivals that you can unlock by mastering the proficiency level of a character. The Lord Icon shows the character in a fancy new icon that you’ll see when selecting your characters. Other players can see your Lord Icons, too. A perfect show-off item if we ever saw one. To reach the Lord level of a character’s proficiency, however, will take a solid amount of time – around 15 hours or more – so you need to play the game a lot to unlock the Lord Icons of your favourite Heroes and Villains. Fortunately, you’ll also unlock some nifty other rewards for each character as you rise from Agent to Knight, Captain, Centurion and, finally, Lord proficiency rank. It’s worth doing. View Green Video on the source website How to get all Lord Icons in Marvel Rivals To get all Marvel Rivals Lord Icons, you need to level up each character’s proficiency level to Lord. This will take a long time. Every time you play as any character, you will earn proficiency XP by completing a set of basic challenges. The challenges for each character appear as though they can be completed as often as you like. For example, you will earn a chunk of proficiency XP for every hour you spend playing as a character. You’ll find the list of proficiency challenges on the character screen under the 'Proficiency' tab. You will find the challenges, your progress and what rewards are on offer for each character under the Proficiency tab. Each time you complete a proficiency challenge, you will automatically earn the XP and they will automatically refresh so you can complete them again. The proficiency challenges for each character are all similar, with each one having the following set of four: Play as the character for an hour Block a set amount of damage/heal a set amount of health/deal a set amount of damage Earn a set number of KOs/KOs and assists/final hits Use that character's special ability a set number of times Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals codes - full list and how to redeem Is Marvel Rivals free? - what you can pay for Marvel Rivals crossplay - is it cross-platform? Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops - how to claim Marvel Rivals team-ups explained - all combinations Will Marvel Rivals be on PS4? - platforms explained Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals tier list: Best heroes to use in Season 1 meta
Our Marvel Rivals tier list has changed considerably since the launch of Marvel Rivals Season 1 brought us some huge buffs and nerfs, alongside new characters, so which characters should you be using in the current meta? With the addition of Sue Storm and Mr Fantastic to the Marvel Rivals character roster (alongside the expected launch of the Human Torch and The Thing later this season), this is our first chance to see how disruptive new characters can be to the Rivals meta since the full launch. We've committed countless hours to Marvel Rivals and its previous beta period so far to help you choose the best characters to use in Competitive and reach that Grandmaster rank. Like any tier list, we've got an S rank reserved for the absolute best options, too. Do you agree with our expert ranking? And how will you react to the next Marvel Rivals patch notes that will likely be full of buffs and nerfs? Read on, and discover our Marvel Rivals tier list for the season at hand. Marvel Rivals tier list: Every hero ranked Broken down from S-Tier to D-Tier, here is our full Marvel Rivals tier list: S-Tier: Mantis (Strategist) Doctor Strange (Vanguard) Storm (Duelist) A-Tier: Luna Snow (Strategist) Rocket Raccoon (Strategist) Hela (Duelist) Magik (Duelist) Hulk (Vanguard) Peni Parker (Vanguard) B-Tier: Cloak & Dagger (Strategist) Invisible (Strategist) Thor (Vanguard) Groot (Vanguard) Psylocke (Duelist) Moon Knight (Duelist) Iron Man (Duelist) Wolverine (Duelist) Winter Soldier (Duelist) Iron Fist (Duelist) Mister Fantastic (Duelist) C-Tier: Adam Warlock (Strategist) Loki (Strategist) Magneto (Vanguard) Venom (Vanguard) Captain America (Vanguard) Punisher (Duelist) Black Panther (Duelist) Star-Lord (Duelist) Scarlet Witch (Duelist) Squirrel Girl (Duelist) Namor (Duelist) Spider-Man (Duelist) D-Tier Hawkeye (Duelist) Jeff the Land Shark (Strategist) Black Widow (Duelist) Keep in mind this is still a very subjective tier list, and will likely change as we move further into Season 1 and beyond, especially as NetEase releases major patches that include buffs or nerfs. As a reminder, picking heroes from S-Tier and A-Tier won't guarantee you success in Marvel Rivals. You need to have a balanced team composition, which, in hero-shooters like this, usually means having two characters from each of the three classes - healer, tank, and DPS (or Strategist, Vanguard, and Duelist in Marvel Rivals speak). This isn't always necessary, but we'd strongly recommend having at least one of each class, and ideally at least two healers. We've had plenty of victories with a 1-3-2 team composition (three DPS characters), so long as the Vanguard is capable of tanking a lot of hits. Read on for a complete breakdown of every hero in Marvel Rivals, and why we've placed them into the various tiers based on the current Marvel Rivals meta. Mantis Welcome back, Zenyatta! Mantis remains our top Strategist in Marvel Rivals's Season 1 mainly due to the damage buffs she grants herself and her teammates. These can quickly turn around any fight, especially if you’re able to land critical hits – as this instantly restores your Life Orbs, allowing you to keep buffing and healing allies non-stop. Mantis's sleep ability, Spore Slumber, is also an excellent counter to any overly aggressive enemies trying to take you out in the back, adding further to her range of skills. Her healing powers are also useful, but we’d always recommend running a Luna Snow, Rocket Raccoon or Cloak & Dagger alongside Mantis to provide more instant healing compared to her alone. The slight nerf to her speed in Season 1 does bring her down slightly, but not enough to displace her from our S-Tier ranking. Doctor Strange While many players may opt for a more aggressive Vanguard like Venom, we've opted to put Doctor Strange higher in this tier list, mainly due to the protection he offers. Doctor Strange’s Shield of Seraphim is the best method of protecting your teammates in Marvel Rivals. It can absorb a ton of damage, has a massive hitbox, and regenerates quickly, too. A well-timed portal can also be the difference between a win and a loss, allowing your team to quickly return to the point, or flank behind the opponents to catch them off-guard. His damage output isn’t the best, but that’s what we have Duelists for, right? Storm As you'll see from some of the updates in this tier list, Marvel Rivals isn't playing around when it comes to buffs and nerfs. Storm has jumped up from D-Tier to S-Tier in Season 1, with the patch increasing her projectile's speed and damage, while giving her more protection during her Ultimate. While she can fly, we wouldn't recommend using her like an Iron Man, as aerial characters can still be picked off easily by Duelists with good aim. Instead, Ororo is best used flying closer to the ground and nearby the Strategists and Vanguards, as her new projectile speed makes her more efficient at farming those kills from a longer range. Luna Snow Luna Snow is still one of the best healers in Marvel Rivals, and one of the top Strategist picks. Her Ice Arts ability grants a solid amount of healing to your teammate, and if you attach an Idol Aura to an ally, this will also heal them when healing others – perfect for that pesky Spider-Man who runs off and always needs healing. Her Fate of Both Worlds Ultimate lets you switch between a 40 per cent damage boost and a 250HP/s healing mode, which negates a lot of other heroes’ Ultimates, even with the slight nerf. The combination of a Mantis and Luna Snow is putting you well on the way to victory, in our opinion. Rocket Raccoon Another D-Tier character who shot up the ranks in Season 1 due to buffs, Rocket Raccoon is now a strong healer in the Marvel Rivals meta. Rocket's repair mode healing was boosted from 60 health per second to 70, giving him that extra push needed to make him a viable pick. Combined with his Battle Rebirth Beacon revival kit, he has fast become a top choice for those in the higher ranks. We're reluctant to place him in S-Tier just yet, as it could be that players aren't yet used to coming up against him as often, so one to keep an eye on going forward. Hela Hela is still one of the best Duelists available in Marvel Rivals, even after the nerfs to her health. Her normal attack can two-shot enemies quite easily thanks to a very generous hitscan for the Nightsword Thorns, and on top of that, she also has one of the most varied kits around. The Goddess of Death can quickly escape using the Astrol Flock ability that transforms her into a crow, and the Soul Drainer stun is surprisingly useful, too. What separates her from other OP Duelists is her Ultimate ability, Goddess of Death. Here, she soars into the sky and rains down damage on to enemies below. Aside from Doctor Strange’s shield or a Strategist Ultimate, there isn’t much that counters this at the moment. It lasts for quite a while and gives you an extra 800HP while in use, meaning that it’s pretty difficult to take her out, even when massively exposed. Magik As we've moved further into the Marvel Rivals life cycle, Magik has become much more prominent in the top ranks as a dive character. She is incredibly effective at jumping into enemy backlines, swinging her sword at those pesky Strategists, and escaping unscathed. Coupled with a slight boost to her Ultimate ability in the Season 1 patch, and she's becoming a go-to choice for any meta teams in Marvel Rivals. Peni Parker Peni Parker can have a lot of impact, especially when you make the most out of her Cyber-Webs and Spider-Nests, which do take a bit of focus to set up. If set up correctly, her mines can instantly take out any squishy heroes who walk nearby, especially Strategists. Alongside this, Peni is able to hold her own quite effectively if your Strategists fall. Her self-healing ability and immobilising webs cause a nuisance to attackers with or without your teammates. She's more useful when defending, as the need to be near your webs does limit her impact when on the offence, or in games with payloads. Hulk When we first started this list in Season 0, we had Hulk much lower due to his fairly weak offence. However, as the meta has developed and we've played with some very good Hulk mains, he has shot up the list into A-Tier. His huge amount of health, combined with his Gamma Shield and jump ability, means he does what we thought Venom would excel at earlier in the season (distraction), but better. Even the transformation into Bruce Banner adds an extra padding of time and health, giving your team space to take down enemies while they try to finish you off. He's still not what we expected this flagship Marvel character to be in Marvel Rivals, but as we move into Season 1, he is becoming a much more viable pick. Cloak & Dagger Once underrated, Cloak & Dagger are now a go-to choice for many Strategists in Marvel Rivals. Dagger is an excellent healer with three different methods of healing available, and her Dagger Storm healing sphere is perfect for any particularly hectic team fights. Meanwhile, Cloak’s Dark Teleportation is a great means of escape if you've pushed up too far or are left vulnerable against an enemy Duelist. The real strength, though, comes in the ability to switch between the two. We’ve turned around countless fights by quickly shifting into Cloak to finish off a few weaker Strategists of Duelists, before reverting to Dagger to heal up the team before the next fight. Invisible Woman As she's still so new to Marvel Rivals, it remains tough to place Invisible Woman properly on this tier list while we wait for players to adapt to her inclusion in the meta. So far, though, her healing looks to be reliable if your team stays close together, with Sue Storm's shield being the most effective tool for healing her teammates. Her Psionic Vortex is also great for disrupting enemy teams, but we have found that her overall healing output is slightly lacking outside of the shield, making her less appealing as a Strategist than others above her. Thor Another brawler who mainly works best at close range, Thor benefited from an overall HP buff in the latest Marvel Rivals patch, making him more viable. The Thorforce Passive is an interesting system still requires a lot of maintaining and landing your Mjolnir Bashes to keep up, but this is now more forgiving due to his extra health. Groot Groot is a classic tank that can just sit and absorb a lot of hits. What separates him from some of the lower-tier Vanguards who remain pretty bulky are his walls. While they are great at just blocking damage or creating chokepoints, they can also deal damage or heal, so long as you and your team are damaging enemies nearby. Due to this, we’d recommend being a bit more aggressive with Groot and using these walls for more offensive reasons, as opposed to simply soaking up hits. His Ultimate is also great for combining with other players' Ultimate abilities, with Iron Man, Moon Knight and The Punisher being a few of the top combos. And finally, be wary of where you’re placing walls. Make sure you aren’t blocking off any lines of sight for your teammates, in particular any healers! Psylocke Another Duelist who is pretty difficult to take down due to her mobility, Psylocke can easily disrupt the enemy backlines and deal a lot of damage before escaping using her dashes and invisibility. Her Dance of the Butterly Ultimate also deals massive damage to enemies in a large area, really quickly. Your only chance of survival here is hoping that your fellow teammates sponge up enough of the damage to spare you. Moon Knight Moon Knight's Ankhs are proving much more deadly than we expected them to be this far into the Marvel Rivals meta. These allow his primary and secondary attacks to bounce between them and enemies, chaining together more deadly attacks. Even when players are aware of them, Marc Spector is able to deal so much damage and stealthily move away to set up the next Ankh that it doesn't matter if they're destroyed. Iron Man As a Marvel flagship, we were surprised that Iron Man didn't see any buffs in the Season 1 patch. Iron Man has some strong attacks and a powerful Ultimate, made better by his flanking manoeuvres. If you want to take out an Iron Man, you do need to focus on him, leaving you vulnerable to other enemy attacks while you're aiming at the sky. However, as a flying character just waiting to be sniped by Hawkeye, Iron Man is still fairly vulnerable to attacks from the Duelists in the existing Marvel Rivals meta. Wolverine Wolverine’s Savage Claw primary can be quite effective against Vanguards as it scales up with an enemy's HP, making him very useful when coming up against a good tank player. He's a good choice in a match-up against teams running three Vanguards, but that really isn't the meta at the moment (possibly due to the threat of Wolverine) and so he isn't particularly viable right now. His overall damage does not feel like enough for a Duelist, and as another melee character, he’s struggling against anyone with range. The Regenerative Healing Factor has a lot of potential, but with a 90s cooldown, it’s nowhere near reliable enough to rely on aside from the occasional KO. Winter Soldier The key to playing as the Winter Soldier is to make use of the Ceaseless Charge passive, which reloads your primary weapon every time you use a Bionic Arm ability (which is all of your abilities). Otherwise, you may find yourself in a tricky situation where you keep needing to reload. Bucky is best at a close-to-medium range, and since he has no real mobility options, you need to have this locked down to have a chance of success. Still, his Ultimate is one of the best in the game, especially when you can chain enemies. Iron Fist Strategists, look away now! Iron Fist is a true enemy to the backlines, being able to dive in, deal a tremendous amount of damage, and escape quickly due to his mobility. His fists have a very generous amount of aim-assist and can easily 1v1 most other squishy Duelists and Vanguards if used correctly. However, as the meta has developed, Iron Fist has fallen away as a top-tier character especially in Competitive. Once he's used up his attacks, he can be quite vulnerable to a counter-attack, similar to Spider-Man. Mister Fantastic As with Invisible Woman, it's still very early to be placing Mister Fantastic confidently, meaning we're putting him solidly in B-Tier. He is most effective when used more like a Vanguard, as he is able to tank a lot of damage using his various shielding abilities. Adam Warlock Marvel Rivals’ answer to Mercy, Adam Warlock has some good healing options to keep multiple teammates at full strength simultaneously using his Soul Bond. His ability to revive allies via Karmic Revival is a great tool to have after losing a team fight, so long as you can stay alive to use it. While his attacking output is strong if you have quite a good aim, his healing abilities have an unforgivingly long cooldown, leading to some moments when he feels pretty redundant on the battlefield. Loki Fittingly for the God of Mischief, Loki’s trickery translates through into his abilities and kit, which can be quite difficult to get the hang of when first picking him up. You’ll get the most out of Loki by using his Doppelganger Illusion, which creates a duplicate of himself wherever you choose. Not only does this give you mobility options and frustrate opponents, but they can also deploy the Regeneration Domain, giving you multiple healing points across the map for your teammates, so long as they’re aware of them. Magneto Magneto’s strength is two-fold, in that he can use his Metallic Curtain and Bulwark bubbles to protect the team from the front, while his projectiles are pretty powerful from range. However, we’ve found his shield isn’t as strong or useful as that of Doctor Strange, and he is among the slowest of characters, putting him slightly lower on this list. Venom Now this is a dive tank! The Venom Swing gives Venom amazing mobility to swing in and cause a lot of chaos. When using Venom, we've found the best strategy is to just be a distraction, as he’s really difficult to take down alone. Eddie Brock doesn’t do the most damage with his tendrils, so we’d recommend focusing on being that distraction over trying to take out too many enemies. With 650HP, you can absorb a lot of hits, especially combined with the Symbiotic Resilience that gives you more Bonus Health the lower your health is. We've moved Venom lower into the C-Tier, as for the more competitive teams that can play together, he can be fairly easily targeted by a couple of players as a counter-attack. Captain America Captain America is an odd Hero in Marvel Rivals, as it sometimes feels like he can't do much. As a melee character, he has the most impact at short range. He can do so by using his Leading Dash, Super-Soldier Slam, or Liberty Rush, but if you’re opting for this playstyle, we’ve found more success with Venom than Steve Rogers. When he does get close, a good Captain America can quickly dispatch a couple of enemies, but often he will draw way too much attention and be taken care of by the rest of the team. The Punisher The Punisher is who your more Call of Duty-inclined friend will pick when you force them to play Marvel Rivals – this game’s version of Soldier 76. Frank Castle's kit is relatively easy to grasp, and we’ve found that switching to the shotgun at close range is a great way to surprise enemies and melt them from existence. The Punisher’s turret was also one of our favourite abilities to use in the Marvel Rivals beta, but as players have become better, they’re able to target the Punisher and his turret much better, meaning it perhaps isn’t as deadly as it once was. Black Panther Another Duelist focused on using that mobility to take down enemies at a close range, Black Panther’s strengths come from his Spirit Rend and Spinning Kick dashes which make him particularly difficult to target while dealing damage. However, when we have to compare him to other super-mobile Duelists, in Spider-Man and Iron Fist, he isn’t able to cause as much damage – especially if you mess up with his dash attacks and are left vulnerable. Star-Lord Star-Lord certainly feels like Tracer did when Overwatch first launched in 2016. The dual-wield guns fail to pack enough of a punch to do enough damage for a top-tier Duelist, and while Peter Quill's mobility options are pretty good, they fall short when compared to other dive options in the category. We do like his Ultimate, however, which gives you auto-lock aim for a period while flying in the air. While it feels like it should be easy to counter, it’s surprisingly effective compared to some other Duelist Ultimates. Scarlet Witch We loved playing Scarlet Witch in the beta, primarily because nobody knew what to do against her Ultimate. However, as time has passed, players aren’t as scared of this anymore, and she is fairly easy to take out before unleashing her Ultimate, limiting its effectiveness. Regardless, she is still a very strong Duelist at the lower levels. Her auto-aiming primary makes her a solid choice for anyone struggling to hit their shots consistently. You’ll be able to win in any 1v1s against Duelists or Strategists, although in wider team battles and at the highest ranks, her effectiveness starts to fade. A good Scarlet Witch also knows that her secondary weapon is one of the most useful tools in her kit, particularly against Vanguards. She is now more useful against Duelists and Strategists, but we would like to see Wanda's Mystic Projection buffed slightly by making it last longer, as right now it does not give her enough time to escape situations. Squirrel Girl As one of our favourite Marvel characters, we were pleasantly surprised to see Squirrel Girl added to the Marvel Rivals roster, although we did expect her to be a Strategist. Sadly, her Junkrat-esque Burst Acorn projectile is only effective if you’re playing from quite deep, which only works well if your team is set up for that, or on the defence. Outside of that, Doreen Green's abilities don't offer her much compared to other Duelists. Her Ultimate saw quite the big overhaul in Season 1, but her lack of an offensive punch means that Squirrel Girl and Tippy Toe have to sit in C-Tier for now. Namor On his own, Namor isn’t the strongest Duelist out there, but if you make sure his Monstro Spawn (his octopus friends) work hard as turrets, he can be effective in defending. They still don’t have the most health but can contribute towards chipping away enemy health quite nicely. His most underrated ability is the Blessing of the Deep, which gives him a protective barrier as he jumps into the air – great for diverting attention, but not really as useful for someone trying to play as a pure Duelist. Spider-Man He might be higher on this list if it wasn’t for the amount of frustrating Spider-Man teammates we’ve played with. Spider-Man goes head-to-head with Iron Fist as the best option to flank and dive into the opponent’s backlines using his web-swinging and double jumps, but as a five-star difficulty hero, this Marvel fan favourite needs to be mastered by more players before he can move any higher in the tier list. Hawkeye Once a thing of terror to any Duelist or Strategist, the latest Rivals patch has significantly nerfed Hawkeye all the way down to D-Tier. His damage output has been decimated in Season 1 in response to his early dominance of the meta as NetEase sought to make his medium and long-range capabilities worse. As with Black Widow, his fellow D-Tier sniper, you still need to have good aim to do well as Clint, placing him firmly in the bottom options for Duelists now. Jeff the Land Shark We did consider placing Jeff in S-Tier for his Ultimate alone, which has been the source of many great clips on social media since Marvel Rivals launched. However, as an actual Strategist, we’ve found less success with Jeff so far. His main Splash Healing has a much greater range than you’d expect, but requires constant babysitting to work properly. The Healing Bubbles also rely too much on your teammates going out of their way to collect them for it to be a reliable strategy. What's worse, his Ultimate has also seen a reduction in its range, making his one piece of viable kit even worse. Black Widow In Season 0, it was easy to say Black Widow is a worse version of Hawkeye. But now, they are both pretty unviable. Widow’s sniper rifle, while certainly powerful, cannot one-shot any hero – even with a headshot. Her counters against other short-range Duelists, in the Fleet Foot dash and Edge Dancer kick, really struggle to make any real impact. Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals codes: All free skins Marvel Rivals trophy guide: Full list of achievements Marvel Rivals player count: How many have picked it up? Will Marvel Rivals come to Switch: Director comments on handheld options Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals voice actors: Full cast and where you know them from
From Assassin's Creed to Uncharted, here are the secret identities of the superheroes.
There's nothing worse than hearing someone's voice but not being able to recognise who it is. And for anyone who's jumped into Marvel Rivals, the hero shooter is packed full of notable names, with more than 30 superheroes fighting it out. So who are the voices behind every superhero or supervillain? Many of them you'll know immediately, having appeared across the likes of The Last of Us, Assassin's Creed, Marvel's Spider-Man, Gears of War, Batman Arkham, Death Stranding, Uncharted and many more roles in and outside of video games. NetEase assembled the best of the best – but who's behind the mask? Well, we've rounded up the full list of characters in Marvel Rivals and the voice actors that help bring them to life. Marvel Rivals voice actors Marvel Rivals has a huge cast of superheroes, supervillains and everything else in between. At the time of writing, there are more than 30 playable characters in-game. Here are the voice actors you need to know about below: The Avengers James C Mathis III as Black Panther Laura Bailey as Black Widow Brian Bloom as Captain America Liam O'Brien as Doctor Strange Andrew Kishino as Hawkeye Fred Tatasciore as Hulk Stephen Fu as Iron Fist Josh Keaton as Iron Man Kate Higgins as Scarlet Witch Travis Willingham as Thor Eliah Mountjoy as Winter Soldier Spider-Man Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker / Spider-Man Sally Amaki as Peni Parker Steve Blum as Venom Fantastic Four Ian James Corlett as Mister Fantastic Suzie Yeung as The Invisible Woman Guardians of the Galaxy Scott Porter as Peter Quill / Star-Lord Adam Harrington as Groot Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Mantis Nolan North as Rocket Raccoon Jordan Reynolds as Adam Warlock X-Men / Mutants Abby Trott as Magik James Arnold Taylor as Magneto Alpha Takahashi as Psylocke Mara Junot as Storm Milana Vayntrub as Squirrel Girl Steve Blum as Wolverine More Superheroes / Supervillains Hakeem Ysaguirre and Xanthe Huynh as Cloak & Dagger Nika Futterman as Hela Jon Bailey as Jeff the Land Shark Troy Baker as Loki Judy Alice Lee as Luna Snow Erik Braa as Moon Knight Daniel Marin as Namor Bill Millsap as The Punisher Where do you know the Marvel Rivals cast from? NetEase has assembled plenty of familiar faces for the voice roles in Marvel Rivals with appearances across some of the biggest IPs in TV, movies and video games. Here are a few you might recognise: Nolan North Nolan North voices Rocket Raccoon in Marvel Rivals although is best known for playing Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series of games from Naughty Dog. Aside from this, the veteran voice actor is known for Desmond Miles in Assassin's Creed, Hades in God of War, David in The Last of Us and Ghost in Destiny. He's played a slew of superheroes too, including Iron Man in Marvel's Avengers, Penguin in the Batman Arkham titles and Deadpool in Marvel's Midnight Sons and the titular title. TV folk may recognise North as Peter Hastings in Pretty Little Liars. Laura Bailey Another veteran is the voice actor behind Black Widow – Laura Bailey. Most notably, she played Abbey in The Last of Us Part II, Kait Diaz in Gear of War, Nadine Ross in Uncharted and most recently, Mary Jane Watson in Insomniac's Spider-Man games. Bailey has also been heard as Supergirl in Injustice 2, Magik in Marvel's Midnight Sons and Catwoman in Batman: The Telltale Series. She's a prominent member of the web series Critical Role, too. Troy Baker If you've played a video game, there's a good chance you've heard Troy Baker's voice. Stepping into the role of Loki for Marvel Rivals, Baker is best known as Joel in The Last of Us. That said, he donned the fedora to play Indy in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle in 2024 and is set to reprise his role as Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach later this. Other superheroes, he's put his name to are Batman in the Telltale series and The Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins. He also popped up as Sam Drake in Uncharted too, so quite a busy guy. Yuri Lowenthal Everyone's favourite neighbourhood spider comes from none other than Yuri Lowenthal. Having voiced Peter Parker in the Marvel's Spider-Man series since 2018, it's fair to say the Ohio-born actor has the role down. Aside from swinging through the streets of New York, Lowenthal played Matt Miller in Saints Row, the male playable character in Sunset Overdrive, Johnny in the Final Fantasy 7 remakes as well as Matvey Gusev in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Milana Vayntrub Milana Vayntrub is a US actress and comedian who has been playing Squirrel Girl across all corners of media since being cast as the live-action version in 2018's unaired New Warriors show. It was set to be a part of the MCU, however, never made it out after a pilot was shot. When not playing Doreen Green, she has been heard as Lúnda in God of War Ragnarok alongside live-action roles like Cecily in Werewolves Within and Sloane Sandburg in This Is Us. View Green Video on the source website Marvel Rivals is available across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Rivals win rate data reveals which heroes you need on your team
New data released by Marvel Rivals confirms that Mantis is the standout character to pick for your team composition, with the highest win rate across Quick Play and Competitive on both console and PC. The Rivals 'Hero Hot List' revealed official win rates and pick rates for every Marvel Rival character, breaking it down by platform, game mode, and even by Marvel Rivals ranked tier. Sitting in S-Tier on our Marvel Rivals tier list, Mantis's healing and damage buffs make her one of the most effective Strategists to pick. So, if you’re looking to start Season 1 of Marvel Rivals with a new main, here’s a closer look at some of the best-performing characters so far. Marvel Rivals win rates show the best-performing heroes in each role With a 56.03 per cent win rate in Quick Play and a 55.2/55.4 per cent (PC/Console) in Competitive, Mantis beats out fellow meta picks such as Hela and Doctor Strange to become the most effective character in Marvel Rivals. Peni Parker, meanwhile, has the highest win rate for Vanguards, with a 55.38 per cent win rate in Quick Play and a 53.05/53.45 per cent win rate in Competitive. Hela is among the top picks for Duelists, with a win rate of 52.86 per cent in Quick Play, and 54.24/53.47 per cent in Competitive, although surprisingly, she does face stiff competition from Magik for this title. At the other end, Black Widow and Jeff the Land Shark sit firmly bottom in the win rate table, with win rates of just 44.15 per cent and 45.39 per cent in Quick Play, respectively. Jeff the Land Shark is the most used character in Marvel Rivals Despite his low win rate, Marvel Rivals players have not been deterred from choosing Jeff the Land Shark as their go-to Strategist in Quick Play, with a 21.18 per cent pick rate. This was possibly influenced by his viral Ultimate ability, which may have seen new players attempting to replicate clips they’ve seen of Jeff players eating and throwing entire teams of the map. In Competitive, however, the Strategist duo of Cloak & Dagger lead the way with a 20.58/26.04 per cent pick rate, respectively. These high pick rates for the healers do make sense, given there are only seven Strategists to choose from compared to a whopping 18 Duelists – both excluding the upcoming Sue Storm and Mister Fantastic releases. Storm, Namor and Black Widow – all characters set for improvements in Season 1 – are the least common choices, each being chosen in less than 3 per cent of the time. These win rates and pick rates give us some insights into the data likely used in the latest Marvel Rivals patch, which saw Mantis and Hela nerfed while Black Widow and Storm received hefty buffs. Read more on Marvel Rivals: Marvel Rivals codes: All free skins Marvel Rivals trophy guide: Full list of achievements Marvel Rivals player count: How many have picked it up? Will Marvel Rivals come to Switch: Director comments on handheld options Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.