Summary
- Forget about digital microtransactions, what about real-life microtransactions?
- Marvel Rivals is introducing a limited-edition skin that requires a real-life ticket purchase to the upcoming Captain America movie.
- It isn’t the first time a company has put a skin behind a real-life purchase.
Beyond being free-to-play with plans for new characters every six weeks, perhaps the best part about Marvel Rivals is the unmatched potential for skins. After all, there’s decades worth of comic book lore, plus associated media to draw from.
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Already, we’ve seen some incredible skins since the game’s launch, including an MCU-themed Wolverine skin, plus skins based around Namor and Scarlet Witch’s comic book looks. There are even plans to add Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Advanced Suit into the game. It certainly does make up for the fact that a recent patch did make modded skins nearly impossible to work into the game.
That said, it appears that the next major skin that’s coming to Marvel Rivals will require a bit of legwork on the part of players — buying a movie ticket.
IRL Microtransactions
As first spotted by Insider Gaming, Regal Cinemas, a United States-based movie theater chain, announced that those who purchase tickets to see Captain America: Brave New World on opening weekend will receive an “exclusive” digital bundle for Rivals. That bundle will include a limited-edition spray, nameplate and a “mystery” skin.
It’s unclear what the “mystery” skin exactly is, but we’d bet good money on it being a Red Hulk costume. As of this writing, it’s unclear what is being done for gamers that aren’t in the United States. More so, whether the promotion will ever extend beyond the first weekend is also unclear.
That said, this wouldn’t be the first kind of promotion that requires some real-life legwork. Last year, Funko Fusion added a pair of limited-edition Colonel Sanders-themed skins that required $25 in KFC orders. Elsewhere, WWE 2K24 locked a limited-edition Hulk Hogan action figure skin behind buying a real-life $20 figure. Meanwhile, Call of Duty introduced a Black Ops 6 gold lighting camo that was exclusive to those who bought a $350 Wunderwafle prop gun. In other words, it’s just the latest development in what is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to digital purchases — real-life microtransactions.
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