The developers behind Marvel Rivals just shared a new trailer showcasing a fresh Dracula-inspired map and teased the arrival of an iconic vampire hunter.
The teaser, which was posted on Marvel Rivals’ official X account, features a walkthrough of all the new areas in the Central Park map. It looks like Dracula has set up shop in this famous park, converting the majority of the area into a gothic and eerie castle and bathing the city in an eternal night. Most importantly, the trailer ended with a shot of a chained-up Blade, proving that this vampire hunter is making it into the game in some capacity.
It’s currently unclear if Blade will be added to the game as a fully-fledged character, although previous leaks did hint at his appearance in the roster. It looks like Blade has large chains attached to his body and arms since he was taken hostage after Dracula took over New York City. Perhaps the purpose of this map is to free Blade from this prison or stop him from escaping, depending on what side you’re on.
In terms of fan reactions, Rivals fans are thrilled with the map and short hero teaser. “SICK MAP!! Honestly might be my favorite in the whole game,” one user replied after seeing all the different areas players can explore. There is even a large overgrown tree that Squirrel Girl used as her base of operations before Dracula moved into the park.
Unfortunately, there is currently no information about the map-specific mechanics that can be found in Dracula’s Castle. Every map in Rivals has a different gameplay mechanic to separate it from the rest, such as the moving terrain in all Hydra-themed maps. The previous New York map allowed players to restore buildings to their original state by dealing damage, so this mechanic could carry over.
Others are just thrilled that Blade is officially appearing in the game, as it increases his chances of getting added to the official roster of playable characters. After viewing the end of the teaser, more than one player expressed the sentiment that they were “just waiting on Blade,” showcasing that this antihero has a strong and dedicated fanbase.
While many players are excited about this new hero’s potential, others are focused on the news that Marvel Rivals developers in Seattle were fired today. By just glancing in the replies, you’ll see a slew of users questioning the company about these layoffs, with very few opinions about the new map.
“Why did you just lay off a huge section of your staff after having one of the best releases all year,” One user questioned, completely ignoring Blade and the new map. Considering the Seattle team worked on level design, many fans think it’s strange that the official account would post this teaser so soon after the unfortunate news.
If you want to play in this twisted version of Central Park, then you can check out the new mid-season update launching on Feb. 21 alongside the addition of Human Torch and The Thing.
Published: Feb 18, 2025 11:15 PM UTC