Marvel Rivals release time - the countdown begins as the Overwatch rival nears launch

Marvel's Rivals
(Image credit: NetEase)

We've almost arrived at Marvel Rivals' release time, as the third-person Overwatch competitor is set to roll out for free across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X on December 5 – or December 6, depending on your timezone. 

The upcoming hero shooter, which NetEase Games have developed in collaboration with Marvel Games, is set to launch with 33 playable heroes from across the Marvel universe, from Doctor Strange to Wolverine and even Jeff the Land Shark. It's previously been said that "no character is off limits" for the game, so the prospect of future additions to the roster is very exciting.

Marvel Rivals already had a successful beta test, but there's no doubt that the developers will have been fine-tuning everything they possibly can for the full free-to-play launch, and we don't have long before we can dive in and experience the whole package ourselves. Here's everything you need to know about Marvel Rivals' release across PC and consoles.

Marvel Rivals release time

(Image credit: NetEase)

Marvel Rivals release time

  • 4pm PT on December 5
  • 7pm ET
  • 12am GMT on December 6
  • 1am CET

As you can see, Marvel Rivals will release worldwide at the same time, but obviously, what time that is for you will depend on your time zone. The UK and Europe have it comparatively rather rough with late-night releases - not ideal for a mid-week launch, but hey, at least it leads into the weekend nicely. 

Marvel Rivals countdown

Marvel Rivals preload

If you're eager to dive straight into the hero shooter action as soon as possible, the good news is that Marvel Rivals is already available to preload on PC – you can download it now from either the official website or Steam page. You still won't be able to start playing until the game unlocks in your time zone, but it'll save any extra waiting around for it to install. Unfortunately, there's no option to pre-load on PS5 or Xbox Series X, so console players will have to wait a bit longer to get stuck in. 


As Marvel Rivals adds even more DPS characters to its roster, dev reminds players that the team "wanted to move away" from Overwatch's traditional Tank, Support, and Damage roles.

Catherine Lewis
News Writer

I'm one of 12DOVE's news writers, who works alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.