The closed alpha test for Marvel Rivals, the Overwatch-inspired hero shooter featuring the iconic heroes and villains from the famed comic book franchise, begins on May 10, the devs announced today.
The official release date for the closed alpha was snuck into the very end of the latest character spotlight video highlighting the trickster Loki and the Yggsgard map, and is also listed in the video’s description. The video was posted to the official Marvel Rivals account on Twitter/X and was listed privately on the game’s YouTube page.
It was confirmed in March when the game was first revealed that the first chance for players to get to play Marvel Rivals would be during the closed alpha in May. The game is set to be released on both Steam and the Epic Games Store, though there have been teases about Marvel Rivals potentially coming to both PS5 and Xbox Series X. The game will be propped up by seasonal content drops featuring new heroes, maps, and skins.
During the game’s reveal, it became impossible for fans to ignore the game’s striking similarity to Overwatch. Marvel Rivals looks to be doing a number of things differently, though, including switching to third-person gameplay and adding new gameplay elements like iconic team-up moves and large-scale environmental destruction. With the worldwide popularity of Marvel and the struggles that Overwatch has endured, Marvel Rivals could potentially usurp the Blizzard franchise from the hero shooter throne.
The full release date window for Marvel Rivals is still unknown. The Discord server for the game, which attracted roughly 60,000 users after the reveal, is now just less than 20 members shy of cracking 90,000 users. The sign-up page for the closed alpha is still open. Check back here for more Marvel Rivals coverage and closed alpha details.
