Marvel Rivals devs confirm no role lock & explain decision for 6v6 matches

NetEase Games has revealed that Marvel Rivals will not feature a role lock and explained to us their decision to keep the game as a 6v6 shooter.

Marvel Rivals is one of the most anticipated games in the PvP shooter genre and NetEase has finally announced it will release on December 6, 2024. During Gamescom 2024, the devs also released a trailer that provided a glimpse of the storyline and two new heroes that will be introduced at launch.

But that’s not all from Gamescom − Dexerto had the opportunity to engage in an exclusive conversation with Zhiyong Feng, Lead Combat Designer, and Danny Koo, Executive Producer, at the NetEase Games booth. During the conversation, exciting new details emerged regarding the highly anticipated game’s team dynamics.

Fans have been guessing about the team structure, and the developers have now confirmed that Marvel Rivals will include 6v6 matchups with no role lock. Both Koo and Feng said their decision was motivated by more than just gameplay mechanics; it’s an homage to Marvel’s vast history.

When asked about the decision behind the number six, Feng said (translated from Chinese), “We wanted to put this number 6v6 in our game, because the Marvel universe is 616, and the number 6 is often used across Marvel comics.”

With this addition, the 6v6 format becomes thematically relevant while also bringing the action back to the iconic universe that the heroes and villains hail from.

“It’s also an even number, and we want players to be able to arrange themselves as 2 characters in the front, 2 in the middle, and 2 at the back. Sort of like a 2-2-2 formation, but we want them to remain creative at the same time so they can be free to play as they want.”

One of the most intriguing characteristics of Marvel Rivals is the absence of role lock, which has become common in many team-based games. The developers stressed their intention to allow users to experiment with different team compositions and strategies.

“We do not want players to have role lock. We want them to be creative with their formations and use the heroes as they like in their 6-player team,” Koo stated. This design choice promotes a sense of creativity among players, allowing them to form unique teams that align with their individual playstyles, rather than being confined to traditional roles.

For Marvel Rivals fans, this news is a welcome change. Because there is no role lock, teams may be as flexible as the player’s imagination allows, selecting the characters they like most, as we did with our character tier list.