NetEase Games' uber-popular free-to-play title Marvel Rivals is getting swimsuit skins this summer, providing an even faster way to part players from their money.
That news comes straight from Marvel, where the iconic comic publisher shared that it is bringing back its Marvel Swimsuit Special comic this July. Part of the reason why is longtime demand, but it's also for a tie-in event, as several of the swimsuit outfits in the special will be brought to Marvel Rivals as character skins.
Intriguingly, the sample of art shown in the announcement features some characters currently playable in Marvel Rivals such as Iron Man and Scarlet Witch, alongside some characters that are not, including She-Hulk and Wasp.
The developers at NetEase Games are currently planning to start adding a mind-boggling character per month starting with Season 3. Maybe we'll see one or both of these heroes added to coincide with the summer fun?
If you're interested in the comic itself (you can just say you're curious about the storyline), MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIAL: FRIENDS, FOES & RIVALS #1! will be available for purchase at comic shops starting July 9, 2025.
Marvel Rivals is still going strong
Marvel Rivals has seen extremely strong player retention since it launched back in December 2024, quickly garnering 40 million players across all platforms. While recent updates have seen Overwatch 2 gain ground, NetEase Games' offering is still in the lead.
The most recent character added is Emma Frost, bringing sorely-needed reinforcement to game's Vanguard ranks. Meanwhile, Ultron is coming as a new Strategist at the halfway mark of Season 2 in a few weeks.
I have this strange feeling that a summer event getting characters to show a fair bit of skin won't hurt player numbers. Personally I'm okay with this kind of fun, so long as the costumes are pretty equal-opportunity across the board.
If you're playing Marvel Rivals, I'm curious: Does this event appeal to you? If so, which characters are you hoping to see get beach-appropriate skins?
Marvel Rivals is free-to-play on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5.
