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Think Marvel Rivals needs a new Vanguard? a new Duelist? a new Strategist? Deadpool agrees with all of the above.
Today NetEase announced that Marvel Rivals‘ new season, kicking off at the end of this week, will introduce Deadpool as the latest hero to join the shooter’s increasingly stacked roster. But in a first for Rivals, Deadpool will be able to switch between the three main archetypes of the game—tanky Vanguards, damage-focused Duelists, and supporting Strategists—at any time mid-game. Naturally, Wade himself decided to make the announcement, butting in on NetEase’s usual developer vision video series to narrate his own arrival.
According to, uh, Wade, he’ll be able to switch between being a Vanguard—dropping unicorn plushies to provide a bubble of protective shielding to either defend allies or prevent foes from firing off attacks—a Duelist—using his katanas and pistols to deliver damage from multiple ranges—or a Strategist—using his katanas and pistols to deliver damage and heal allies from multiple ranges—by returning to his team’s spawn, either by retreating or on defeat.
Deadpool will also have a unique in-game progression system, where he seemingly forgets that he’s in a hero shooter rather than an RPG. Again, according to Wade, he will be able to level up over the course of a match and upgrade his individual abilities, increasing their potency, and unlike other heroes, he will gain his ultimate ability charge through a style-grade system that encourages fancy fighting. In the gameplay video below, it seems like Wade’s ultimate can target individual opponents to harass them as he runs in with an aura of damaging attacks as a Duelist (that seemingly improves with more abilities he uses in the time the ultimate is active) or healing and shielding auras as a Strategist and Vanguard, respectively.
It’s a fun way to bring in Deadpool’s meta-leaning style to the game, creating a character that is both incredibly versatile and also very unpredictable at first glance. We’ll see how Wade shakes up Rivals‘ meta when he hits the game on January 16.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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