Marvel Rivals: Everything to know about this weekend's Closed Alpha Test
This Friday marks the start of the Closed Alpha Test for NetEase's Marvel Rivals. The recently revealed team-based shooter stars iconic super heroes and villains from across the Marvel Universe.
There's no release date yet for the new game, but a Closed Alpha is set to kick off on Friday. Here's everything you need to know about it!
When does the Marvel Rivals Closed Alpha Start and End?
The Marvel Rivals Closed Alpha is a surpisingly long test. While many of these tests run for about a weekend or so, this Closed Alpha will last for 10 days.
It will begin on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. PDT and will run until Monday, May 20th, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PDT. A Competitive mode will launch on the second day of the test, running from 5:00 p.m. PDT to 12:00 a.m. PDT. The Competitive mode queue will be accessible every day thereafter starting at 12:00 p.m. and will run to 12:00 a.m. PDT.
This is a limited Closed Alpha Test
As the world "Closed" implies, not everyone is able to join in on the action. Only those selected from the previous available sign-ups will be able to participate in the test. Additionally, NetEase confirmed that only players in the United States and Canada who meet the recommended PC system requirements for Closed Alpha will have a chance to be selected.
NetEase has teased there will be "more opportunities" for players to join the test, but no details have been announced yet.
Marvel Rivals Closed Alpha Test Recommended PC System Requirements
As I mentioned, in order to be selected, you must meet the following PC specs:
- Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
- Memory: 16GB
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Super) or AMD RX 5700-XT
- DirectX Version: 12
- Storage Space: 70 GB SSD space is required
Keep in mind, these are not the final system specs as NetEase continues to optimize the game leading up to launch. NetEase states that the launch day specs will actually be lower.
What content will be available in the Marvel Rivals Closed Alpha?
The Closed Alpha Test will provide access to numerous playable characters, three distinct game modes and three maps.
A total of 20 characters will be available to choose from: Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Groot, Hela, Hulk, Iron Man, Loki, Luna Snow, Magik, Magneto, Mantis, Namor, Peni Parker, Punisher, Rocket Raccoon, Star-Lord, Storm, Scarlet Witch, and Spider-Man.
The three game modes are Convoy, Domination, and Convergence. We don't yet know the details of each game mode, but these sound like a escort, traditional deathmatch, and possible capture and hold type game modes.
The modes will be playable across three maps: YGGSGARD: YGGDRASILL PATH, YGGSGARD: ROYAL PALACE, and TOKYO 2099: SHIN-SHIBUYA
NetEase notes that this is just a "small sample of the full scope of the game." More content will be included when the game launches and beyond as there will almost certainly be post-launch support.
Expect to see footage online
If you didn't get invited into the Closed Alpha Test, you may still be able to get a solid idea of the foundation of Marvel Rivals. There is no NDA for this Closed Alpha, which means anyone playing is free to upload any gameplay footage or offer their opinion. It's important to remmeber though that this is still in the development phase so anything you see does not represent final gameplay.
Marvel Rivals Release Date and Platforms
At this point, there is no release date for Marvel Rivals, but given that we are already in a testing phase, we can expect a launch later this year or early 2025. Right now, the only confirmed platform is PC, but NetEase did not rule out bringing the game to other platforms, such as Xbox and PlayStation, in the future.
It feels a bit silly to limit the game to only PC especially since Blizzard's Overwatch — which Marvel Rivals has been compared to — is playable on consoles as well.