Marvel Rivals players call out game’s first blatant misfire with Unstable Molecules controversy
Marvel Rivals has been a hit with gamers since it launched in December 2024, with quite a remarkably low amount of controversy or negative player sentiment surrounding it. And maybe that's why the talk surrounding today's new costume recolors and Unstable Molecules currency feels heavier than normal, because the game has done a generally good job of being fair with players' time and money. Screenshot by Destructoid If you missed it, Marvel Rivals added the ability to palette swap select costumes in the game in today's update. But the new feature also added yet another currency to the game called Unstable Molecules that, for now, must be purchased at a one-to-one conversion rate with real world money. The new currency joins a growing list of them that are both full-time and limited time only, and players are beginning to take notice and get annoyed with it while also worried about what this may mean for the future. To keep track, Marvel Rivals has Lattice, Units, and Chrono Tokens as existing currencies in the game, all of which serve different functions. Lattice is premium currency, which can then be converted to Units which are used to buy store items, but they're both different from Chrono Tokens that are used to unlock battle pass items, and now Unstable Molecules are something different entirely for costumes, but not Costume Coins which also exist and can be used to purchase specific skins. It's become a pain to keep track of, and players are speaking out against the practice. The new Unstable Molecules can be converted from Lattice one-to-one, but the currency is only applicable for a certain number of skins that come with the new palette swap feature, which could have just as easily been added to the UI as a different costume in the store like existing palette swaps. "I love this game and I think NetEase is honestly killing it," one Redditor said in a thread mocking the game's growing list of different currencies. "But it does still have the stink of a phone game all over it with the UI layout and the microtransaction currency madness." https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelrivals/comments/1k1b4v0/we_are_slowly_getting_there/ It feels like the introduction of more and more currencies is deliberate, and it's a worrying sign for a free-to-play game that has had such good vibes around it ever since it launched with battle passes that don't expire and cosmetics at reasonable prices. "People were already criticizing the game looking like a mobile game, and this is the route they chose with the currency system," another gamer replied. "Nothing prevented the colors to just straight up costing one of the already existing currencies. Greed is winning once again." At times it feels like nothing could kill Marvel Rivals' hype. But if anything would be the silver bullet to take down the massively popular hero shooter, it could be that kind of greed players are concerned about. The post Marvel Rivals players call out game’s first blatant misfire with Unstable Molecules controversy appeared first on Destructoid.
Marvel Rivals has been a hit with gamers since it launched in December 2024, with quite a remarkably low amount of controversy or negative player sentiment surrounding it.
And maybe that's why the talk surrounding today's new costume recolors and Unstable Molecules currency feels heavier than normal, because the game has done a generally good job of being fair with players' time and money.
If you missed it, Marvel Rivals added the ability to palette swap select costumes in the game in today's update. But the new feature also added yet another currency to the game called Unstable Molecules that, for now, must be purchased at a one-to-one conversion rate with real world money.
The new currency joins a growing list of them that are both full-time and limited time only, and players are beginning to take notice and get annoyed with it while also worried about what this may mean for the future.
To keep track, Marvel Rivals has Lattice, Units, and Chrono Tokens as existing currencies in the game, all of which serve different functions. Lattice is premium currency, which can then be converted to Units which are used to buy store items, but they're both different from Chrono Tokens that are used to unlock battle pass items, and now Unstable Molecules are something different entirely for costumes, but not Costume Coins which also exist and can be used to purchase specific skins. It's become a pain to keep track of, and players are speaking out against the practice.
The new Unstable Molecules can be converted from Lattice one-to-one, but the currency is only applicable for a certain number of skins that come with the new palette swap feature, which could have just as easily been added to the UI as a different costume in the store like existing palette swaps.
"I love this game and I think NetEase is honestly killing it," one Redditor said in a thread mocking the game's growing list of different currencies. "But it does still have the stink of a phone game all over it with the UI layout and the microtransaction currency madness."
It feels like the introduction of more and more currencies is deliberate, and it's a worrying sign for a free-to-play game that has had such good vibes around it ever since it launched with battle passes that don't expire and cosmetics at reasonable prices.
"People were already criticizing the game looking like a mobile game, and this is the route they chose with the currency system," another gamer replied. "Nothing prevented the colors to just straight up costing one of the already existing currencies. Greed is winning once again."
At times it feels like nothing could kill Marvel Rivals' hype. But if anything would be the silver bullet to take down the massively popular hero shooter, it could be that kind of greed players are concerned about.
The post Marvel Rivals players call out game’s first blatant misfire with Unstable Molecules controversy appeared first on Destructoid.
