NetEase Games has committed to introducing at least one new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season, yet this hasn't deterred one innovative player from envisioning a playable Doctor Octopus. Reddit user WickedCube recently captivated the r/MarvelRivals community by sharing a 30-second video showcasing what appears to be early gameplay footage from NetEase's popular hero shooter. At first glance, the clip features a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner suspended in midair in a testing room, but it soon reveals itself to be a rough, Marvel Rivals-inspired rendition of the iconic Spider-Man villain, Doctor Octopus.
We need more vanguards, so i made one (Doctor Octopus)
byu/Wickedcube inmarvelrivals
While the animation may seem a bit stiff and comical, the resemblance to Doctor Octopus is undeniable. With a closer look, one can appreciate WickedCube's thoughtful design of how Doc Ock might navigate and engage in Marvel Rivals. The concept allows Otto Octavius to "fly" by magnetizing himself to nearby structures, a crucial feature in a game filled with destructible environments. This early version of Doc Ock also boasts named abilities like Havoc Claw for melee attacks and Wrecking Grip for ranged combat. With 16,000 upvotes at the time of publication, it's clear that the community finds WickedCube's solo project both impressive and engaging.
WickedCube, inspired by Doc Ock's unique tentacles, which he believes have never been fully realized in 3D gaming, shared his creative journey. "Doc Ock has always been one of the coolest villains in Spider-Man, and his tentacles would be a challenge to implement," he explained. Previously working with Space Engineers studio Keen Software House, WickedCube left in January 2024 to focus on his own projects. The recent PSN outage, which prevented him from playing Marvel Rivals, spurred him into action. After seeing some captivating fan art of Doc Ock on Twitter, he decided to bring the character to life himself.
Doctor Octopus in the style of Marvel Rivals
.#MarvelRivals #MarvelRivalsfanart pic.twitter.com/d3XHXMZsCL— CoryHarris.jpg (@LordDepis) January 26, 2025
The response to WickedCube's creation has been overwhelmingly positive, with many fans urging NetEase to consider incorporating his ideas into the game. WickedCube finds the feedback "incredibly rewarding" and would be delighted if NetEase were to adopt some of his concepts for an official Doctor Octopus character. Although he has no immediate plans to refine the design further, he intends to share this and future concepts through a YouTube tutorial series, open-source the code on GitHub, and make playable versions available on Itch.
NetEase is set to enhance Marvel Rivals with two new characters this Friday: the Human Torch and The Thing, joining their Fantastic Four teammates, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, who debuted last month. This rapid character rollout showcases NetEase's ambitious plans and sets Marvel Rivals apart in the competitive hero shooter genre.
WickedCube's project was inspired by the community's call for more Vanguard, or tank-like, characters. While rumors about Otto Octavius joining the game are scarce, WickedCube is already brainstorming other potential heroes, including Nightcrawler and Professor Xavier from the X-Men.
"The character roster at launch is large enough to keep the game enjoyable for a long time, and the rate at which they've promised to release new characters is mind-blowing," WickedCube remarked. "The designers clearly understand how to make a fun game, which, in my opinion, is the hardest thing to get right."
Marvel Rivals is gearing up for its Season 1 mid-season update on February 21, which will introduce the new characters, balance changes, and gameplay tweaks. While we await these developments, you can learn more about recent layoffs at NetEase's Seattle branch and why the studio isn't engaging with rumors about hero leaks.
