Marvel Rivals Dev Says They're Not Trolling Dataminers - 'We'd Rather Spend Our Time Developing the Game'

Marvel Rivals dataminers believe developers are playfully misleading them with lists of potential future characters hidden within the game's code. However, NetEase and Marvel maintain they have more pressing priorities—namely, the game's ongoing development.

Last month, dataminers uncovered names of potential heroes within the game's code, some of which were swiftly confirmed with the official announcement of the Fantastic Four. However, as the list expanded, speculation arose that some names were intentionally misleading additions.

Currently, the community is divided on the authenticity of the datamined characters.

We recently interviewed Marvel Rivals producer Weicong Wu and Marvel Games executive producer Danny Koo regarding this "elaborate troll" theory. While they denied any intentional deception, they advised caution when interpreting the code's contents. Wu explained: "We don't recommend altering game files. Each character undergoes a complex design process involving concepts, trials, prototypes, and development. Some information might remain in the code, reflecting explored directions that may or may not appear in future updates. Inclusion depends heavily on player expectations."

Koo added, "A ten-year plan would be ideal, but the team experiments with various play styles and heroes. It's like finding someone's discarded notes—context is missing." When directly asked about deliberate trolling, Koo stated, "No. We prefer to focus on game development."

After generating a list of possibilities, NetEase collaborates with Marvel Games on initial designs. Community enthusiasm and upcoming Marvel projects (films, comics) influence final decisions. This explains the numerous characters in the code—a reflection of NetEase's brainstorming process.

Marvel Rivals launched successfully, and each new character enhances the game. Human Torch and The Thing are the latest additions, launching February 21st. We also discussed a potential Nintendo Switch 2 release (details available elsewhere).