NetEase Games' commitment to releasing a new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season hasn't stopped a talented player from creating their own playable Doctor Octopus.
Reddit user WickedCube recently unveiled a 30-second gameplay video showcasing a remarkably well-realized Doc Ock within the Marvel Rivals engine. The footage, seemingly from a testing environment, depicts a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner suspended in mid-air, highlighting Doc Ock's unique abilities. This eight-armed version of the villain boasts magnetized arms allowing for traversal and movement akin to flight near stable structures, a clever adaptation given the game's destructible environments. His abilities include "Havoc Claw" (melee) and "Wrecking Grip" (ranged). The video, boasting over 16,000 upvotes, is a testament to WickedCube's skill and creativity.
WickedCube's inspiration stemmed from a desire to see more Vanguard characters (tanks) in the game and the unique challenge of implementing Doc Ock's tentacles in a 3D environment. A recent PSN outage provided the unexpected impetus, leading him to create the character in Unity.
The positive community response has been incredibly rewarding for WickedCube, with many urging NetEase to incorporate his design. While he doesn't plan to further polish the current design, he intends to release a playable version and share the process through a YouTube tutorial series and open-source the code on GitHub.
NetEase will launch two official characters, Human Torch and The Thing, this Friday, continuing their impressive post-launch momentum. This follows the recent release of Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman, showcasing a rapid release schedule exceeding industry standards.
WickedCube's project highlights the community's desire for more diverse characters, with Nightcrawler and Professor X among his future concepts. He praises the game's design, noting the initial roster's depth and the impressive new character release rate.
Marvel Rivals' Season 1 mid-season update arrives tomorrow, February 21st, including the new characters, balance adjustments, and gameplay refinements.