Ever since the first cinematic trailer dropped, everyone has been asking the same thing: what company made Marvel Rivals? It’s a fair question. The game looks like a high-budget fever dream where Doctor Strange and Iron Man go toe-to-toe in a destructible version of Tokyo 2099. It doesn’t feel like a small indie project. Honestly, it shouldn't.
The answer is NetEase Games.
Specifically, this is a massive collaboration between NetEase and Marvel Games. While Marvel oversees the lore and makes sure Captain America doesn't suddenly start acting like a villain, NetEase is the one actually building the engine, coding the netcode, and designing those flashy ultimate abilities.
Why NetEase Games Was the Choice for Marvel
If you aren't a hardcore mobile gamer, you might only know NetEase as "that huge company from China." But they aren't exactly new to the Marvel universe. They’ve been working with Disney for years. They made Marvel Super War and Marvel Duel. Basically, they had already proven they could handle the IP without breaking it.
NetEase is huge. Like, "second largest gaming company in China" huge. They have thousands of developers, and for Marvel Rivals, they pulled together a global team. While the core leadership is based in Guangzhou, they’ve tapped into talent that previously worked on Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Overwatch. It’s a pedigree that explains why the gunplay (or blast-play?) feels so snappy.
The Team Behind the Screen
The development is led by some heavy hitters. Weicong Wu serves as the lead producer, and Guangyun Chen is the creative director. When you hear these guys talk in dev diaries, they focus heavily on "art style synergy." They wanted the game to look like a moving comic book but with the lighting of a modern AAA title. They’re using Unreal Engine 5, which is why the environments actually crumble when Hulk smashes a pillar.
The Marvel Games Partnership
It’s a mistake to think NetEase did this in a vacuum. Marvel Games is deeply involved. Jay Ong and Bill Rosemann (the big bosses at Marvel Games) have been very vocal about making sure this feels like "authentic Marvel."
They have a specific "Supervisory Role."
Think of it like this:
- NetEase builds the car, tunes the engine, and handles the racing mechanics.
- Marvel provides the blueprint, chooses the paint, and makes sure the driver’s seat fits the characters' personalities.
For example, the "Team-Up" abilities—like Rocket Raccoon riding on Groot’s back or Hulk charging Iron Man’s armor with gamma radiation—came from this collaboration. It’s the kind of stuff only a developer with deep access to the comics could pull off without it feeling cheesy.
The Elephant in the Room: Comparisons to Other Games
You can't talk about what company made Marvel Rivals without mentioning the "O" word. Overwatch.
People have pointed out that NetEase previously helped Blizzard manage Overwatch in China. Because of that, there were rumors (mostly just internet chatter) about shared codebases. In reality, NetEase has been building its own internal tech for decades. Marvel Rivals is a third-person shooter, not first-person, which fundamentally changes how the game is coded. The verticality and the environmental destruction are things NetEase built specifically for this title.
A Global Development Strategy
NetEase has been on a buying spree lately. They’ve opened studios in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. Even though a large chunk of the work happens in Guangzhou, the game is designed for a Western audience first. That’s a big shift from their older mobile-only days. They want this to be a "forever game" on PC and consoles.
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Is Marvel Rivals Actually Free?
Since NetEase is known for mobile games, people get nervous about monetization. Here is the deal: the game is Free-to-Play. NetEase confirmed that all heroes will be unlocked for everyone. You don't have to grind for 40 hours to play as Black Panther. They make their money through "Chronovium" (the in-game currency) used for skins and battle passes.
- Platform Support: It's on Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
- Launch Roster: They started with 33 characters and are already pushing toward 50.
- Seasonal Content: As of early 2026, we’re already seeing Season 6, which introduced a multi-role Deadpool.
What to Do Now
If you’re looking to dive in, don't just pick the most famous character. The game's meta is built around roles.
- Check your specs: Since it's Unreal Engine 5, you need a decent GPU. Make sure your drivers are updated.
- Learn the Roles: Don't just play "Duelist" (DPS). The "Vanguard" (Tank) and "Strategist" (Support) roles are actually what win matches.
- Watch the Dev Diaries: NetEase is surprisingly transparent on their YouTube channel. They often explain why they buffed or nerfed a character based on the data they see in Guangzhou.
Essentially, NetEase has moved past being just a "mobile developer." With the backing of Marvel Games, they've built one of the most stable and visually impressive hero shooters on the market today. Just make sure you have a team that actually wants to play the objective, because no amount of high-budget development can fix a team of five DPS players.
To stay ahead of the meta, keep an eye on the official Marvel Rivals Discord, where the NetEase community managers post patch notes about 24 hours before they go live. Knowing about a buff to Spider-Man a day early can be the difference between a win streak and a frustrating night of gaming.