Marvel Rivals has revealed its broad plans for monetization, and the details of its battle pass have fully allayed concerns of stingy microtransactions.
NetEase published Dev Talk 7 – Monetization on the official Marvel Rivals website, and it goes over what players should expect when it comes to fun topics like microtransactions and battle passes. Thankfully, in this case I can actually say “fun” unironically, because it all sounds very good and fair.
By far the biggest takeaway is the fact that the Marvel Rivals battle pass won’t expire at the end of seasons, meaning you can don’t have to worry about ticking every single box and reaping max rewards before time runs out.
This FOMO element of battle passes has been a massive pain point in the live-service genre, and Marvel Rivals has effectively remedied the whole issue with this one change from the traditional model – although it’s worth noting it’s not the first game to do so, with Helldivers 2 being a recent example.
NetEase also confirmed “we will be charging for cosmetics that will provide only visual changes, with no stat bonuses or pay-to-win elements.” All maps and heroes will be free and available at the same time to all players.
The two currencies in Marvel Rivals are Lattice, the premium currency that can be bought with real money, and Units, which is what you earn just by playing the game. Notably, Units can be exchanged for Lattice at a 1:1 ratio, meaning real world dollars aren’t the only way to get Marvel Rivals’ premium currency.
Now, you’re probably wondering exactly how far your real money goes when it comes to purchasing premium currency, and as it turns out, reasonably far! One dollar gets you 100 Lattice, and the paid Luxury Battle Pass costs 490 Lattice. So, a little less than $5 for the premium battle pass, which ain’t shabby at all. There will also be free battle passes that will include “one epic-quality costume and a series of other items.”
Bundles, which will typically include a skin, an MVP animation, emote, spray, and nameplate, will be 2,200 to 3,300 Units, although the Loki-Loki season 2 bundles will be discounted up to 28%.
While you’ll have the chance to get skins and other cosmetics through bundles and individual sale, you’ll also be able to get them through achievements and events, which will presumably be detailed at a future date.