Free-to-play games are never really free, and developers have been finding ways to make money from players ever since live-service games became a thing. First, we had loot boxes, which evolved into battle passes.
Marvel Rivals also has its own battle pass for players to purchase, but it does something different with its BP compared to other games that also use the battle pass system, like Overwatch 2.
When Does a Marvel Rivals Battle Pass Expire?
One thing that NetEase Games is doing very differently with Marvel Rivals’ Battle Pass is that it doesn’t expire. According to the official site, anyone who purchases a battle pass will not be required to finish it during an allotted time, and they can continue to unlock things well after the season.
Battle passes in Marvel Rivals will cost 490 Lattices (roughly 5 USD) and include 5 costumes and related cosmetics. To progress in the battle pass, players have to earn Chrono Tokens (Battle Pass tokens), which will be rewarded through tasks and achievements in the game.
Take note: The game still has the Free Battle Pass, which offers its own epic-quality costume plus other items to players for free. But just like every other BP, the devs will make sure that you spend your time grinding in the game.
click to enlargeHow Does This Battle Pass Compare to Other Games?
Battle Passes in other games usually expire by the end of the season, so it doesn’t make sense to purchase a battle pass when the season is already close to the end.
The fact that the BPs expire also means that players will have to spend their time playing the game if they want to squeeze out all of the benefits of their Battle Pass. It would be a waste if you purchased it only to give up before earning the first big cosmetic.
Season 0 Battle Pass
Marvel Rivals is starting with Season 0, and the season is said to only be a short one—so that means that NetEase is only offering the S0 Battle Pass at half the price for early players. With half the cost and the shorter duration, though, it also makes sense that the BP only has half the items. At least it’s good enough to give players a good handle on what to expect with the game’s battle pass and what kind of rewards are in store.
For Season 0, Mantis's big Legendary-Quality costume is called the Galactic Wings outfit. It also comes with other specialized cosmetics, like stickers and an MVP clip.
No doubt, players can expect changes regarding NetEase’s Battle Pass policy. Even Overwatch had to constantly change things up, from the rate of progression to the amount of skins people could earn. If anything, fans hope other games will follow NetEase’s example of not having them expire after the season.
Marvel Rivals can now play on PCs, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Marvel Rivals page.