Marvel Rivals Dev Says They're Not Trolling Dataminers - 'We'd Rather Spend Our Time Developing the Game'

Marvel Rivals dataminers suspect the developers are playfully misleading them with lists of potential future characters hidden within the game's code. However, NetEase and Marvel claim their focus lies on game development rather than elaborate pranks.

Last month, dataminers uncovered potential future heroes within Marvel Rivals' code, some of which were quickly confirmed with the Fantastic Four announcement. However, as the list expanded, speculation arose that some names were intentionally misleading. Community debate continues regarding the authenticity of these datamined characters.

We directly questioned Marvel Rivals producer Weicong Wu and Marvel Games executive producer Danny Koo about this alleged "troll." While denying any deliberate deception, they advised caution when interpreting the code. Wu explained that the extensive character design process—involving concepts, trials, and prototypes—might leave residual data in the code, representing explored directions that may or may not become future additions. The final decision, he stressed, hinges on player expectations and desired gameplay experiences.

Koo likened the situation to finding a discarded notebook filled with brainstorming notes, lacking context for the reader. He emphasized their preference for focusing on game development over such activities. When directly asked about deliberate trolling, Koo stated, "No. We would rather spend our time developing the actual game."

This list is then presented to Marvel Games for initial designs. Community enthusiasm and planned Marvel projects (films, comics) are also considered before a final decision is made. This process explains the extensive list of heroes found in the code—reflecting NetEase's ongoing brainstorming.

Marvel Rivals launched successfully, and each new character enhancement strengthens the game. The Human Torch and The Thing are the latest additions, launching February 21st. We also discussed a potential Nintendo Switch 2 release for Marvel Rivals (details available elsewhere).