Five things we want to see from Marvel Rivals Ignite

If you’ve been hoping for an esports tournament based on NetEase’s relatively new game, Marvel Rivals, then there’s good news. Marvel Rivals Ignite has been announced, beginning on May 25.

Announced on May 1, Ignite will offer a prize pool of up to $3 million for the winners, and it is going to be held across five major regions: Americas, Asia, China, EMEA, and Oceania.

Since launching in December 2024, Marvel Rivals has already built up a huge fanbase, with over 40 million active players. For those unaware, Marvel Rivals is a 6v6 third-person shooter that lets you play across five different modes, across various maps set in the Marvel Universe, affecting the Marvel Rivals ranks for all players. The Marvel Rivals platforms are Sony PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC. There are 39 playable characters, split into three different types: Duelists, Strategists, and Vanguards, each with their own skills to help towards victory.

Marvel Rivals also offers a battle pass, similar to the best esports games like Fortnite and League of Legends. The game is currently in its second season, which is set to wrap up just as the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Fantastic Four: First Steps, premieres worldwide. However, with a new esports competition about to start, here are five things that could help to make Marvel Rivals Ignite a success.

Simply launching a new esports tournament isn’t enough. For the first day of Marvel Rivals Ignite, there should be a character announcement like Daredevil or Doctor Doom to start off the tournament with a bang. A bombastic trailer could play, and perhaps part of the tournament could showcase Latveria, a country that Doom rules over in the comics, as a new map. Doing something like this isn’t just a marketing ploy, but it also gives players and viewers a reason to tune in to get a first look at a new character. Other tournaments like EVO have done the same in the past, such as announcing new characters for Tekken 8 and Dragon Ball FighterZ, so seeing Marvel Rivals Ignite starting off its event with something similar could be a great moment for fans.

Sometimes, imitation is the best form of flattery, and Marvel’s Rivals Ignite would do well to do some of that from League of Legends, a very popular esports game in 2025. First off, an opening ceremony would be a great way to start the tournament, much like how LoL has. For example, the band Against The Current sang Legends Never Die at the LoL World Championship finals in 2017. Voiceovers featuring those of Professor X, performed by Sir Patrick Stewart, or even Tom Hardy for Venom, could be used to introduce various matches, giving Marvel Rivals Ignite more legitimacy to viewers watching. This way, there can be an ongoing narrative that keeps everyone interested throughout the tournament, making them wonder if someone else will appear in further voice-overs or cinematic introductions.

The next Marvel film, Fantastic Four: First Steps, premieres on July 25 worldwide, which coincidentally overlaps with the end of the current Hellfire Gala season of Marvel Rivals by two weeks. With Marvel Rivals Ignite taking place during this time, it’s a perfect opportunity for the tournament to seize this by starting a new season featuring the Fantastic Four at the center of a new story directly at the event. In addition, NetEase could feature moments like Johnny Storm and the Flaming Torch flying around one of the events, either via video or in person. Perhaps even the Baxter Building, the main base for the team, could feature as a new map in the game. Whatever the case, it’s a perfect way to line up the game, the event, and the movie all at once.

Every player loves to see new maps and characters in their favourite game — it’s not restricted to esports games. The allure of hoping to see the return or debut of someone is strong, but for Marvel Rivals, there are plenty of new maps that NetEase could look to launch during the tournament. We’ve already mentioned Latveria and the Baxter Building, but the way of announcing and showcasing them could work in favour of Marvel Rivals Ignite. Limited-time events featuring these maps could occur during the tournament, offering showdowns between prolific players and developers, or even actors who play certain characters within the Marvel Cinematic Universe within these new maps. Approaching new content in this way would help pace the broadcast schedule of Marvel Rivals Ignite between matches, giving players and viewers more reason to play the game during these special events. 

Esports tournaments are more than simply showcasing prolific players facing off against one another in a variety of games — they’re a seminal event for a lot of players and viewers. It’s why NetEase should look to EVO and The Game Awards to have live hosts for Marvel Rivals Ignite. But these hosts should also have a breadth of Marvel knowledge, so they can talk to developers, voice actors, fans, and more about how it all relates to Marvel Rivals, and perhaps talk about the relevance of certain characters and maps in between matches. In addition, official channels on Twitch and YouTube could attract new players and viewers who may not be aware of Marvel Rivals and the new tournament. Tie-in viewer rewards that can be earned by watch-time, which can be redeemed for items within the game, and it transforms Marvel Rivals from an event into a full-blown esports tournament that can’t be missed. 

Although NetEase has yet to announce further details about Marvel Rivals Ignite 2025, it’s arguably one of the most promising esports tournaments of the year already. This is in part thanks to the Marvel brand and the breadth of content that’s available. The timing is also well-placed, with an opportunity to seize on the next Marvel film, Fantastic Four: First Steps, in July.

There have been murmurs of esports tournaments slowly fading away, but seeing new tournaments like Marvel Rivals Ignite is already proving otherwise. Disney, the proprietors of Marvel, as well as NetEase, know of the potential that esports can bring. Marvel Rivals is arguably a success already, with 40 million active players within seven months of launching. To launch an esports tournament now is the best time, and it’s only going to benefit the developers, the players, the viewers, and the esports industry as a whole.