Marvel Rivals’ first closed beta test will allow for more participants and include new playable heroes
Despite Marvel Rivals receiving acclaim with its closed alpha test last May 10-20, not many people were able to play NetEase Games’ upcoming hero shooter. The recently announced closed beta test seeks to rectify that mistake – allowing more players worldwide to find their Marvel mains before the game officially launches sometime soon.
How do you sign up for the closed beta?
Getting the specifics out of the way, Marvel Rivals’ first closed beta test will run from July 23 at 10 pm UTC until August 5 at 7 am UTC. It will be available on macOS and Windows via Steam as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. PC players can request access to the closed beta starting July 20 at 10 pm UTC by going to the Marvel Rivals Steam page and clicking “Request Access” under the “Join Marvel Rivals Playtest” tab. Console players don’t have to wait as long to sign up, as a questionnaire for requesting access is already available.
Which Marvel characters will be playable in the closed beta?
Characters that were present in the closed alpha will be making a return along with two new additions. These include the damage-dealing Duelists Black Panther, Hela, Iron Man, Magik, Namor, The Punisher, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Star-Lord, and Storm. Strategists (the game’s support characters) will be comprised of Loki, Luna Snow, Mantis, Rocket Raccoon, and newcomer Adam Warlock. Lastly, the tanky Vanguards will consist of Doctor Stange, Groot, Hulk, Magneto, Peni Parker, and the new character Venom.
What modes and maps will be available for play?
Three game modes will be available from the get-go. Convoy sees one team pushing an objective through a map to a specific location while the other team prevents their opponents’ progress. Domination has multiple active control points that must be captured to gain points for victory. Convergence is similar to Domination but features a single active control point that changes locations over the course of the game.
The available maps for the closed beta test include Yggsgard: Yggdrasill Path, Yggsgard: Royal Palace, Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya, and Tokyo 2099: Spider-Islands.
How inclusive will the closed beta be?
In addition to increasing the player count and implementing crossplay between platforms, Marvel Rivals will have servers in North America, Europe, and Asia. This is good news for players outside of North America, as the closed alpha test’s limited servers resulted in lag for anyone playing outside of the country.
The closed beta test will also have language support for English, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Chinese.
NetEase Games plans on announcing more content that includes events, tournaments, and live streams as the first closed beta test draws near. Thanks to the success of the closed alpha test’s Extra Invite Codes, the developers also plan on implementing something similar that will allow more players to experience the closed beta test. This way more people will be able to team up with their friends and create their own twisted team of Avengers.
