Marvel Rivals Closed Alpha Start Date and More Details Announced

Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games and Marvel Games will officially be playable on May 10th, the creators announced on Friday. The new hero shooter featuring Marvel heroes and villains previously opened signups for the first closed alpha and confirmed that the playtest would take place in May before confirming on Friday the exact start date and time as well as other closed alpha details. Would-be Marvel Rivals players don't seem to have gotten any indication yet if they've been accepted into the test, so if you haven't signed up already, there's still a chance that you could be admitted if you sign up before May 10th.

The Marvel Rivals closed alpha will start at 5 p.m. PDT on May 10th and will run from then until the end of May 20th. Along with those start time details, it was also reiterated what the starting roster would look like in terms of playable characters. Hela is the only one that's been added to the game post-reveal with that character confirmed just this week, so with her now in Marvel Rivals, the roster is comprised of Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Groot, Hela, Hulk, Iron Man, Loki, Luna Snow, Magik, Magneto, Mantis, Namor, Peni Parker, Punisher, Rocket Raccoon, Star-Lord, Storm, Scarlet Witch, and Spider-Man.

Given that Marvel Rivals has only been announced for the PC so far despite evidence that suggests a console release is on the way, this test will only be on PC, and it'll be focused on the United States and Canada with around 30,000 people getting admitted into this initial closed alpha. Controller support will be a feature in this first test for those who prefer to play that way.

"We've been blown away by the overwhelming support and interest from Marvel fans worldwide," the first follow-up announcement about the closed alpha said today. "While we'd love to have everyone on board, we're kicking things off with around 30,000 lucky players who signed up for the test. As a matchmaking-based multiplayer game, where duration, server physical distance, and time zones shape the battlefield, a test boasting 30,000 contenders finds its true home in a single region. As such, for this round, we're focusing on the United States and Canada, where most sign-ups have poured in."

The Yggsgard map was previously revealed with that being the first real look that we've gotten at a Marvel Rivals battleground, but it seems it'll be made up of not just one but two maps. NetEase confirmed that the three playable maps in the Marvel Rivals closed alpha will be Yggsgard: Yggsgard Path, Yggsgard: Royal Palace, and Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya. Maps, heroes, and more are "all in the pipeline," NetEase said, with more content planned for future tests after this first closed alpha.

If you'd like to sign up for the Marvel Rivals test, you can do so here.