NetEase Games has announced "Path to Doomsday," a crossover event spanning eight months that ties Marvel Rivals to the MCU's Avengers film series. Five in-game events, each inspired by one of the mainline Avengers movies, will roll out from April through December, culminating on the same day Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters worldwide.
The roadmap was first revealed at a live fan event at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood on March 4, 2026, marking two years since the game's initial announcement. NetEase then shared the full image on social media, showing five markers each labeled with an MCU Avengers title.
The Full Schedule
The five events follow the Avengers films in chronological order:
- April 2026: Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
- June 2026: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- August 2026: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- October 2026: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- December 18, 2026: Avengers: Doomsday, timed to the film's global theatrical release
NetEase has confirmed "new game modes and in-game events inspired by The Infinity Saga" across the full run, with the December event bringing "all-new in-game content" tied directly to the film. Specific details for June through December haven't been revealed yet. Creative Director Guangyun "Guangguang" Chen provided the first concrete details at the El Capitan presentation, focusing on April's event.
Where the Game Stands Going Into This
Marvel Rivals is currently in Season 6, with Season 7 kicking off on March 20. The last season added Deadpool and Elsa Bloodstone, bringing the total roster to 47 heroes. NetEase also confirmed during the event that Black Cat and White Fox are coming in Season 7, though their roles haven't been disclosed yet.
On Steam, the game sits at around 90,000 peak players in the past 24 hours according to SteamDB. That's a significant drop from the all-time peak of 644,000, and Overwatch's recent Season 1 relaunch has added competitive pressure, at least on PC. Marvel Rivals is free to play on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
April's Event: A 6v1 Loki Mode
The April event is the only one with confirmed details, built around a limited-time asymmetrical PvP mode inspired by the 2012 film.
One player controls Loki against a team of six. For this mode, Loki gets a completely new skill set rather than a variant of his standard kit, combining illusions, deception, and Infinity Stone abilities to pit the opposing heroes against each other. The six players control different heroes, though NetEase hasn't confirmed which characters are available or whether selection is open or restricted.
The team of six wins by completing objectives that summon the Hulk, which NetEase describes as recreating an "iconic scene" from the film. The studio hasn't spelled out exactly which scene, though the setup points pretty directly at the Hulk's most memorable Loki moment from the movie. Since the Hulk is summoned as a win condition for the opposing side, he doesn't appear to be part of the six playable hero slots.
Loki is also getting a new skin based on his MCU appearance in The Avengers. It's his second MCU-inspired costume in the game and reportedly his most requested look outside of Lady Loki, featuring sharper angles and a more tapered silhouette than his current in-game design.
Two New Skins Before Any of That: March 6 Patch
Separate from the Path to Doomsday rollout, a patch on March 6 adds two new costumes. Captain America gets the "Cursed Captain" skin and Psylocke picks up the pirate-themed "Once Captive Corsair." Neither is tied to the Avengers crossover. Full patch notes are on the official Marvel Rivals website.
What Fans Are Expecting From the Rest of the Roadmap
NetEase hasn't confirmed anything beyond April, but each film theme gives the community plenty of material to speculate with.
For June's Age of Ultron tie-in, a PvE mode is the most commonly expected format - something along the lines of fighting through waves of Ultron drones before a boss encounter that follows the same formula as the popular Marvel Zombies mode. MCU-inspired skins for Ultron, Scarlet Witch, and an Iron Man Mark 45 suit are the most frequently discussed cosmetic additions.
The August Infinity War event has fans calling for another asymmetrical mode, this time centered on Thanos. The popular theory puts Thanos in the power role, collecting Infinity Stones to build strength while the opposing team tries to hold them off, with The Snap as his win condition. Thanos isn't currently in Marvel Rivals, so many expect him to arrive as a playable hero before or alongside the August event. Possible skin additions being floated include Infinity War versions of Thor, Black Widow, and Mantis.
October's Endgame event has community speculation leaning toward a large-scale PvE mode set during the film's final battle, covering waves of Chitauri, Black Order boss fights, and a climactic Thanos encounter. "Fat Thor" and "Smart Hulk" come up repeatedly on community wishlists as skin candidates, both of which would look noticeably different from anything currently in the game.
What This Means for Marvel Rivals
Path to Doomsday is the most coordinated content push NetEase has announced for Marvel Rivals since launch. Anchoring the final event to Avengers: Doomsday's December 18 release date ties the game directly into Marvel's theatrical marketing cycle for the rest of the year.
It also arrives when the game needs it. Player counts on Steam are well off their peak, and Overwatch's rebrand has given that game renewed traction. Five crossover events over eight months is a meaningful commitment, and how the community responds will say a lot about where Marvel Rivals stands heading into 2027.
