Marvel Rivals: How Does Monetization Work?

Everyone who plays video games today knows that ‘Free-To-Play’ titles are meant to squeeze as much money from you without you realizing it, and that’s exactly what many people expect from NetEase’s highly anticipated Marvel Rivals.

Marvel Rivals launches this week, and the developers have released an official breakdown of how they plan to monetize the game and get players to spend money on some sweet cosmetics.

Monetization in Marvel Rivals

According to the official site, the game will only charge for ‘cosmetics that will provide only visual changes, with no stat bonuses or pay-to-win elements,’ so all the other things in the game, like heroes, maps, and other gameplay elements, are considered completely free.

It’s pretty much the same system as Overwatch 2, where only cosmetics get charged. However, there is a system in place that allows players to earn points that can be used to purchase cosmetics.

The two types of currency in the game are:

• Lattice (gold currency) – Lattice is the premium currency of the game and is obtained with actual money.
• Units (blue currency) – Units are the free in-game currency and can be earned in limited quantities via the Battle Pass, Achievements, and Events. They can also be exchanged with Lattice for 1:1 ratio.

As predicted by many people online, the standard price of Lattice is 100 Lattice = USD 0.99, but players can also get a discount if they spend USD 99.99 for 11,680 Lattice (saving roughly USD 16.80).

click to enlarge

Credit: NetEase Games | fair use for promotional purposes

Buying Things at the Store

When purchasing cosmetics at the in-game store, the items usually come in Bundles. Not only will there be a skin, but there will also be specific cosmetics that complement it. The price varies based on the classification of the bundles, which are Epic-Quality, Epic-Quality MCU, and Legendary-Quality.

The pricing system is as follows:

• Standard Epic-Quality Bundle: 1,600 UNITS (Standard value: 2,200 UNITS, -28% discount
• Standard Epic-Quality MCU Bundle: 1,800 UNITS (Standard value: 2,400 UNITS, -25% discount)
• Standard Legendary-Quality Bundle: 2,400 UNITS (Standard value: 3,300 UNITS, -28% discount)

Battle Pass Perks

While the store is good for getting specific items, the Battle Pass is an avenue to receive other original cosmetics without spending so much money. The Luxury Battle Pass will cost players 490 Lattice and is said to contain a total value of items worth 8000 Units).

Battle Passes include 5 costumes and related cosmetics, and progress is marked by Chrono Tokens, which are earned through achievements and playing the game.

It’s also worth noting that the great thing about Marvel Rivals’ Battle Pass is that it doesn’t expire. Usually, Battle Passes expire by the end of the season they’re introduced, but NetEase is giving the players a chance to complete their BPs even after the season ends, so there’s no pressure to complete them during a specific time.

Of course, there is also a Free Battle Pass that players can work on without spending anything. This is also where they’ll be able to earn their Units that they can use to purchase in-game items.

Marvel Rivals is now available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.