Dataminers exploring Marvel Rivals suspect the developers are playing games with them, after discovering lists of possible upcoming characters embedded in the game's code. However, NetEase and Marvel insist their focus is elsewhere—like actually developing the game.
Last month, dataminers started sharing names of potential heroes found hidden in Marvel Rivals' files. Some seemed quickly confirmed when the Fantastic Four were officially revealed. Yet, as the list grew, a new rumor spread: certain names might be fake, deliberately placed by developers to mislead dataminers.
Even now, the community remains divided over which datamined characters, if any, are genuinely being considered for the game.
We recently posed the question directly to Marvel Rivals producer Weicong Wu and Marvel Games executive producer Danny Koo: Are you orchestrating an elaborate prank? While it appears no intentional trolling is happening, the names uncovered in the code should still be taken cautiously. Here’s how Wu responded:
"First, we advise against modifying the game files," he explained. "Also, each character’s design undergoes a complex process—concepts, trials, prototypes, development, and so on. Sometimes, remnants of that exploration remain in the code. Those may represent directions we tested, but whether they appear in future plans depends heavily on the gameplay experience our players desire."
Koo added, "A ten-year roadmap would be ideal, but the team has experimented with many playstyles and heroes. It’s like someone left behind a notebook of rough ideas, and a dataminer opened it without the full context."
When asked directly if they were trolling players, Koo stated, "No. We prefer to invest our time in developing the actual game."
In the same conversation, we discussed how characters are chosen for Marvel Rivals. The team plans updates about a year ahead, committed to adding new characters roughly every month and a half. For each update, NetEase identifies which character types and abilities would best balance the roster and diversify gameplay. Wu shared that NetEase’s balancing strategy prioritizes introducing fresh characters and experiences over intensely fine-tuning existing ones—adding support for weaker heroes or countering overpowered ones.
Once NetEase drafts a list of candidates, they present ideas to Marvel Games and begin initial designs. They then consider current fan excitement and Marvel’s broader schedule—such as upcoming films or comics—to finalize selections. This process explains why so many hero names may appear in the code; NetEase is constantly exploring possibilities.
Marvel Rivals launched strongly, and each new hero enhances the experience. Human Torch and The Thing join the roster on February 21. We also asked Wu and Koo about a potential Nintendo Switch 2 release—read more here.
