Marvel's Overwatch rival is coming to consoles, adding Venom and Adam Warlock, and getting a PS5-exclusive Spider-Man skin

Key art for Marvel Rivals.
(Image credit: NetEase Games / Marvel Games)

Marvel's very own Overwatch rival, aptly named Marvel Rivals, is officially on its way to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, although it's offering an exclusive Spider-Man skin to tempt prospective players over to Sony's current-gen console.

In the latest trailer, which was showcased tonight during PlayStation's May 2024 State of Play stream, two new characters were confirmed for the 6v6 shooter's growing roster – Venom, and Guardians of the Galaxy's Adam Warlock. Venom can be seen literally swinging into action, as well as sinking into the floor and emerging to attack his enemies Reaper style, and Adam Warlock appears to boast some strong projectile attacks.

While a full release date for the PvP third-person shooter still hasn't been confirmed, it was announced that a closed beta is coming to PS5 in July, giving fans on consoles a chance to dive in.

We also get a look at some Team-Up Abilities – which game producer Stephen Wu describes in a PlayStation Blog post as a way to bring "the bonds and friendships that once lived only in the lore" to life. By the sounds of it, there'll be plenty of fun references to spot in these, as well as generally neat interactions. 

"Of course, the classic scene where Rocket Raccoon rides on Groot’s shoulders and fires wildly at the enemy can also be recreated in the game," Wu writes. "When up against overwhelming enemies, even Venom and the Spider-Totems can set aside their differences to morph into a united Venomized force, piercing through the battlefield with dark, lethal spikes!

As for that exclusive skin, will it be enough to make potential players choose PS5 as their go-to platform? Well, that's up for debate, but it does look pretty cool – it's a Scarlet Spider outfit. "Fingers crossed Kaine Parker won’t mind us giving his threads a fresh spin," Wu adds.

Be sure to check out our roundup of everything announced at the PlayStation State of Play May 2024 to catch up on all the latest news.

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.