Marvel Rivals developers address datamining rumors: no intentional trolling, just lots of ideas.

Dataminers recently unearthed a trove of potential future characters within Marvel Rivals' code, sparking debate about their authenticity. Some speculated the developers, NetEase and Marvel Games, were intentionally planting false leads.

We directly asked producer Weicong Wu and executive producer Danny Koo about these claims. While they confirmed the presence of various character concepts in the code – a byproduct of their extensive design process involving numerous concepts, prototypes, and trials – they denied any deliberate attempt to mislead dataminers.

Wu explained that the code reflects explored directions, some of which may or may not materialize in future updates. The ultimate decision hinges on player expectations and maintaining a balanced and engaging gameplay experience. Koo likened the situation to finding a discarded notebook filled with brainstorming notes, devoid of context. He emphasized their preference for focusing on game development rather than elaborate pranks.

The character selection process, they revealed, involves a year-long planning horizon, aiming for a new character release every six weeks. NetEase prioritizes roster balance and variety, often adding new characters to address existing weaknesses or counter overly powerful ones, rather than heavily adjusting existing characters. After internal brainstorming, NetEase presents potential additions to Marvel Games, considering community enthusiasm and upcoming Marvel film or comic releases.

This extensive planning explains the numerous character entries in the code – a reflection of NetEase's ongoing ideation. The upcoming addition of Human Torch and The Thing on February 21st further demonstrates the game's ongoing evolution. Discussions also touched upon the potential for a Nintendo Switch 2 release (details available in a separate article). In short, the datamined characters represent a collection of explored ideas, not a deliberate attempt at deception.