Marvel Rivals Closed Alpha Modes, Heroes, Start Times, and Everything to Know

Marvel Rivals' Closed Alpha Test will begin soon. Here's everything you need to know beforehand.

By Hannah Adkins

NetEase Games and Marvel Games are approaching the beginning of the Closed Alpha Test (CAT) for their upcoming 6v6 team-based free-to-play shooter, Marvel Rivals. With the CAT just days away, the developers have noted that hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have signed up for the chance to participate in the test, with the game's Discord channel passing 100k members. Due to this overwhelming level of excitement the clearly highly anticipated game won't be able to accept everyone who signed up for the CAT, but the developers have noted they're "rolling out extra chances to snag a spot during the CAT," and "fast-tracking our upcoming test plans to get more of you into the Marvel Rivals action as soon as we can!"

NetEase and Marvel also released an overview for the CAT, which includes that the test will kick off May 10th at 5:00 PM PDT and run until May 20th at 11:59 PM PDT, with five different modes unlocked to experience:

  • Tutorial: Learn the basic techniques of fighting as a Super Hero with Galacta!
  • Quick Match: Choose your hero, defeat enemies, and complete mission objectives!
  • Pocket Universe: Respawn at a flexible location and eliminate as many enemies as you can!
  • Custom: Create Customized Matches to play with or against your friends!
  • Competitive: Ascend through the ranks amid thrilling and intense battles!

Players can also sign up for a 6v6 tournament with a hefty prize pool called Dawn of Legends, which will roll out in three phases:

  • Registrations from May 10th to 13th (PDT)
  • Open Qualifiers from May 14th to 16th (PDT)
  • Knockout Stage from May 17th to 19th (PDT)

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Plus, since they're launching a Twitch channel and rolling out a Content Creator program for the first time, Dawn of Legends will be live streamed on Twitch, so players looking forward to Marvel Rivals that won't get a chance to participate in the CAT or tournament can watch from the sidelines. And if you're not looking forward to playing alone but you will be part of the CAT test, if you reach certain milestones you'll be able to earn additional invite codes to bring in your friends, as well as additional opportunities to secure these coveted invites through other means which you can read about at the bottom of the page here.

NetEase also published a Frequently Asked Questions page for Marvel Rivals to address common player questions including progress transfer in the future, controller support, recommended system requirements for the CAT, and more. Notably, the FAQ page includes that the following content will be available during the test:

"During the Closed Alpha, players will have access to the following characters: 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. Also, players will be able to enjoy three game modes (Convoy, Domination, and Convergence) and three maps (YGGSGARD: YGGDRASILL PATH, YGGSGARD: ROYAL PALACE, and TOKYO 2099: SHIN-SHIBUYA)."

Are you hoping to participate in Marvel Rivals' CAT, or are you patiently waiting for the full release?

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