Cross-platform progression lets Marvel Rivals players access their character, progress, and purchases across multiple gaming platforms. This guide explains how the system works, how to set it up, and the limitations you need to understand before linking your accounts.
Understanding Cross-Platform Progression
Account vs. Character
You need to understand the difference between accounts and characters in Marvel Rivals before setting up cross-progression.
Account: Your login credentials for the game. Each platform (Epic, Steam, Loading Bay, PlayStation, Xbox) has its own account system. Modern platforms typically remember your login automatically, so you won't need to re-enter credentials each time.
Character: After logging in, you play using your character. Your character stores all your progress, including competitive rank, collections, and paid content.
Right now, each account is bound to one character in a one-to-one relationship. Cross-progression changes this by letting multiple accounts share access to a single character.
How Cross-Progression Works
The core concept is simple: link multiple platform accounts together so you can log in from any platform and use the same character to play.
Setting Up Cross-Platform Progression
Supported Platforms
Marvel Rivals cross-progression works across five platforms:
- Epic Games Store
- Steam
- Loading Bay
- PlayStation
- Xbox
Step-by-Step Linking Process
- Open the game and navigate to Settings
- Select the Other tab
- Scroll down to find Account Linking (may also be labeled as "Account Binding" or "Account")
- Choose a platform different from your current login
- Complete the account verification process for that platform
- Wait for the binding process to complete
Choosing Your Primary Character
If you have characters on multiple accounts, you'll be prompted to select a primary character during the linking process. This decision matters because your primary character becomes accessible from all linked accounts. All progress, collections, and purchases from your primary character will be available across platforms. Characters you don't select as primary are stored but not accessible, and data between characters is never merged or combined.
Choose carefully based on which account has the most progress, purchased content, or competitive rank that matters to you.
Managing Your Linked Accounts
Viewing Linked Accounts
To see all your linked accounts and their associated characters:
- Go to Settings → Other → Account Linking
- You'll see a list of all linked accounts and their characters
- This screen shows which character is currently set as primary
Switching Your Primary Character
You can change which character serves as your primary:
- Navigate to Settings → Other → Account Binding
- View all linked accounts and their characters
- Select the character you want to set as primary
- Confirm the switch
After switching, logging in with any linked account will use the new primary character. There's a cooldown period between switches to prevent frequent changes, though. The character cooldown is 1 hour. During this time, non-primary characters can't be selected as your primary character.
Unlinking Accounts
You can unlink any platform account at any time:
- Go to Settings → Other → Account Linking
- Find the account you want to unlink
- Select it and click Unlink
- If the unlinked account has a character, that character will be restored to the account
After unlinking an account, there's a 180-day cooldown period before that account and platform can be linked to other accounts again. This security measure prevents account trading and other exploitative behavior.
During any cooldown period (platform or character), you can't perform operations on that account or character. Read confirmation pop-ups carefully before proceeding, especially if you need to participate in tournaments or other time-sensitive events soon.
PlayStation Linking Restrictions
Due to PlayStation's virtual asset transfer policy, there are special rules for PlayStation accounts. Once you link a PSN account, you can't link a different PSN account to the same cross-progression setup. If you unlink your PSN account, you can relink the same PSN account after the cooldown period, but you can't replace one PSN account with another PSN account.
Rank and Competitive Progression
Platform-Specific Rankings
Your competitive rank and leaderboard position remain separate for each platform even after linking accounts. This is one of the most important aspects to understand.
Marvel Rivals matches players based on their device (PC, PlayStation, or Xbox). Because of this device-based matchmaking, your battle data is saved separately for each device. Your competitive rank is tracked independently on each platform, and leaderboard positions are calculated separately for each device. All this information appears under your Career profile for each specific device.
Rank Rewards and Settlement
When a competitive season ends, rank rewards are calculated based on your highest valid rank achieved on any device during that season. You can play on multiple platforms throughout the season, achieve your highest rank on whichever platform feels best to you, and receive rewards based on that highest rank, regardless of which device you achieved it on.
Your rank settlement results will only display when you log into the corresponding device. As long as you log in during the new season, rank settlement for all linked devices will be processed at that time.
Unlinked Platform Ranks
If you unlink a device platform during a season, special rules apply. The rank for that unlinked platform won't be settled in the new season. It'll show as "unsettled" in your career profile until you link that device platform again. But if that unlinked device held your highest valid rank from the previous season, you'll still receive rewards based on that platform's rank.
Your career profile preserves rank and leaderboard standings separately for each device, maintaining a complete history of your performance across platforms.
Content and Purchases
What Transfers Across Platforms
When you set a primary character, that character's content becomes accessible from all linked accounts. This includes all cosmetics (skins, costumes) purchased on the primary character, Units Currency, Lattice Currency, Battle Pass progress, and collections and unlockables.
The system mirrors your primary character across all platforms. It doesn't combine or merge content from multiple characters. If you had purchases on a PlayStation character but set your PC character as primary, only the PC character's content will be accessible across all platforms.
Platform-Exclusive Costumes
Platform-exclusive costumes can only be used on their designated platform, even after linking accounts.
If you have a platform-exclusive costume equipped and log in from a different platform, your character will automatically display the default costume instead.
Bundle Purchase Restrictions
Platform restrictions may prevent you from purchasing certain bundles on PlayStation or Xbox if you've already purchased them on a linked account. If you want to purchase a bundle that shows as already owned due to another linked platform, try purchasing from a different linked platform. The restriction is based on platform-level purchase tracking, not your character progression.
Non-Primary Character Content
When you link accounts and select a primary character, content from non-primary characters becomes inaccessible. Costumes purchased on non-primary characters won't appear in your collection. Currency amounts from non-primary characters aren't added to your primary character. Bundle items from non-primary characters remain locked.
Costume Coins and Purchases
Costume coins spent on non-primary characters don't carry over when you link accounts. Any purchases made with those coins remain with the character they were purchased on.
If you spent costume coins on your PlayStation character for specific cosmetics, those cosmetics will only be accessible if that PlayStation character is set as your primary character.
Third-Party Integration Limitations
Cross-progression linking doesn't automatically update other third-party service bindings. Due to technical limitations, Discord integrations aren't automatically updated, Twitch drop connections aren't automatically updated, and other web-based functions may not reflect your new linked character data.
After completing cross-progression setup, manually check your third-party integrations and re-bind them if necessary to make sure they're connected to your primary character.
Tournament and Faction Participation
Cross-progression linking doesn't change tournament or faction participation rules. Device-specific requirements remain in effect.
If you're participating in a PC faction, you must join and perform actions on PC. If you're entering a PC faction tournament, you must use your PC device. Attempting to join or perform faction operations from the wrong device will be blocked by the system.
This restriction exists because factions and tournaments are organized by platform. Even though your character is accessible from any linked device, competitive integrity requires you to participate on the designated platform for each event.
Cooldown System Summary
Understanding the cooldown system matters for managing your cross-progression setup effectively.
| Cooldown Type | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Cooldown | 180 Days | After unlinking an account, both the account and its associated platform enter this cooldown period |
| Character Cooldown | 1 Hour | After selecting a primary character, non-primary characters enter this cooldown |
Platform Cooldown: 180 Days
After unlinking an account, both the account and its associated platform enter a 180-day cooldown period. During this time, you can't re-bind the same platform to your cross-progression setup, and the unlinked account can't be linked to any other cross-progression setup. This prevents account trading and security exploits.
Character Cooldown: 1 Hour
After selecting a primary character, non-primary characters enter a 1-hour cooldown. During this period, those characters can't be selected as your primary character. The cooldown prevents rapid switching between characters, so plan ahead if you need to switch characters for any time-sensitive reason.
Release Schedule
Cross-platform progression is rolling out in two phases.
Season 4.5 Testing Phase: A limited group of players will be invited to test the cross-progression feature and provide feedback. This closed testing phase makes sure the system functions properly and helps developers identify issues before the full launch.
Season 5 Full Launch: Cross-platform progression will be available to all players. The phased approach lets the development team address any problems discovered during testing before millions of players begin linking their accounts.
Key Considerations Before Linking
Before you link your accounts, think about these important factors:
- Which character has the most value? Identify which account has the most purchases, highest rank, or longest progression. This should probably be your primary character.
- Platform-exclusive content: If you have platform-exclusive costumes or items, remember they'll only be usable on their designated platforms even after linking.
- Competitive rank: Your ranks won't merge. If you're highly ranked on one platform, that rank stays specific to that platform even after linking.
- Cooldown implications: The 180-day platform cooldown is lengthy. Don't unlink accounts unless you're certain, especially if you might want to relink later.
- Tournament requirements: If you participate in competitive tournaments, make sure you understand which device you'll need to use for specific events.
- Non-reversible merging: While you can unlink accounts, character data is never merged. Once you choose a primary character, content from other characters remains separate unless you switch your primary (with cooldowns).
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Can't purchase bundles after linking: If you've already purchased a bundle on PlayStation or Xbox and it's preventing repurchase after linking, try purchasing from a different linked platform.
Third-party integrations not working: Cross-progression doesn't automatically update Discord, Twitch, or other web service connections. Manually re-bind these services after linking accounts.
Platform-exclusive costumes not appearing: These costumes only work on their designated platforms. Log in on the correct platform to use them.
Character content missing: If you linked accounts but content is missing, verify which character is set as primary. Only the primary character's content is accessible across all platforms.
Faction or tournament access blocked: You must use the required device for device-specific factions and tournaments, even with cross-progression enabled.
Frequently Asked Questions
You select one primary character that becomes accessible from all linked accounts. Other characters are stored and can be restored by switching your primary character or unlinking accounts. Character data is never merged or combined.
You can unlink accounts at any time, but there's a 180-day cooldown before that platform can be linked again. Character switches have a 1-hour cooldown. These cooldowns prevent frequent changes and protect account security.
No. Ranks remain separate for each platform because Marvel Rivals uses device-based matchmaking. Season rewards are based on your highest rank achieved on any platform during the season, though.
No. Due to PlayStation's virtual asset transfer policy, you can only link one PSN account. You can unlink and relink the same PSN account after cooldowns, but you can't switch to a different PSN account.
Purchases remain stored with those characters but become inaccessible until you switch that character to primary. The cross-progression system mirrors your primary character. It doesn't combine purchases from multiple characters.
No. Platform-exclusive cosmetics can only be equipped and used on their designated platforms, regardless of cross-progression linking.