Marvel Rivals: The Most Surprising Season 2 Reveal Isn’t Ultron or Emma Frost

Marvel Rivals has been making waves since its launch last December, and NetEase isn’t about to slow down. They’ve just unveiled Marvel Rivals Season 2: Hellfire Gala, and the latest Dev Diary is packed with exciting updates to keep things lively. We’re talking about fresh team-up abilities and a promise of introducing a brand-new playable hero each month—from Season 3 onward.

The announcement dropped alongside a cinematic trailer that really leaned into its Hellfire Gala theme. This celebration of Mutant culture on the mystical island of Krakoa is not just a visual feast; it also teases new battle pass skins and introduces Emma Frost and Ultron as the playable characters for Season 2. But there’s more beneath the surface—hints in the trailer suggest some significant story developments could be on the horizon for Marvel Rivals.

The end of the Season 2 trailer offers a quick glimpse of the super-powered guests before chaos erupts—Ultron crashes the gala. A critical moment sees Magneto, in his House of M apparel, accompanied by Scarlet Witch at the center, with Wolverine just off to the side in his “undercover” Patch outfit. Meanwhile, Loki—in his Presidential Attire—is glimpsed chatting with a shadowy, imposing figure whose identity is none other than Doom 2099, part of the game’s main villainous duo.

To grasp what this teaser could mean, one has to recall the ongoing narrative in Marvel Rivals. It all kicked off with Doom and his counterpart from 2099 causing a Timestream Entanglement, a calamity that jumbled timelines and dimensions. One such dimension sees Loki capitalize on Odin’s Odinsleep, seizing control from Thor with Hela’s help and using the Yggdrasil’s now Chronovium-imbued sap to peer into the future.

In Season 1, Doom’s gift of Chronovium to Dracula culminated in a bid to conquer New York, harnessing its power with the Darkhold. Now, with Ultron seemingly plotting to usher in his “Age of Ultron,” wiping out humanity and mutants alike for his AI agenda, it seems Doom might be manipulating events to retain control over the Timestream Entanglement amid the chaos. Loki, too, might just become Doom’s next puppet, with their gala conversation likely paving the way for new powers and more havoc in coming seasons—setting the stage for characters like Valkyrie and Angela to join the fray.

Marvel Rivals’ seasons will now run for two months instead of three, indicating NetEase’s eagerness to hint at future updates more frequently as they accelerate their rollout. This quicker pace means more spectacular developments could be just around the corner, keeping players hooked.