NetEase Games has committed to introducing a new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season, but that hasn't deterred one imaginative player from crafting his own vision of a playable Doctor Octopus. Reddit user WickedCube captivated the r/MarvelRivals community earlier this week with a 30-second video showcasing rough gameplay footage from NetEase's popular hero shooter. At first glance, the video appears to center on a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner suspended in midair within a testing room, but a closer look reveals an intriguing concept: a Marvel Rivals-inspired depiction of the iconic Spider-Man villain, Doctor Octopus.
We need more vanguards, so i made one (Doctor Octopus)
byu/Wickedcube inmarvelrivals
Though the animation is stiff and a bit quirky, the resemblance to Doctor Octopus is undeniable. With a bit of imagination, you can see a thoughtfully designed concept of what Doc Ock might look and move like if NetEase decides to introduce Otto Octavius into Marvel Rivals. WickedCube's version allows the character to "fly" by magnetizing to nearby structures, a crucial feature in a game with destructible environments. The concept even includes named abilities like Havoc Claw for melee attacks and Wrecking Grip for ranged attacks. With over 16,000 upvotes at the time of publication, this impressive, playable creation was crafted entirely by one person.
WickedCube shared his inspiration, saying, "Doc Ock has always been one of the coolest villains in Spider-Man, and his tentacles would be a challenge to implement. As far as I know, they haven't been fully implemented with playable 3D movement in a game before." The India-based indie developer, who previously worked with Space Engineers studio Keen Software House, left his job in January 2024 to focus on personal projects. While seeking contract work and prototyping game mechanics, he decided to create a controllable Doctor Octopus in Unity. The challenge fueled his passion, and the recent PSN outage provided the final push.
"It all started when PSN was down and I couldn’t play Marvel Rivals," WickedCube explained. "While browsing Twitter, I came across some really cool Doc Ock fan art. I thought, 'Since I can't play right now, why not make it myself?'"
Doctor Octopus in the style of Marvel Rivals
.#MarvelRivals #MarvelRivalsfanart pic.twitter.com/d3XHXMZsCL— CoryHarris.jpg (@LordDepis) January 26, 2025
The community has responded enthusiastically to WickedCube's concept, with many fans hoping NetEase will consider adding Doctor Octopus to the game. WickedCube described the reception as "incredibly rewarding" and expressed his willingness for the Marvel Rivals team to adopt his ideas. While he has no immediate plans to refine the design further, he aims to release a playable version soon and share his process through a YouTube tutorial series. Additionally, he plans to open-source the code on GitHub and make the playable versions available on Itch.
NetEase is set to expand Marvel Rivals with two new characters this Friday: the Human Torch and The Thing, following their Fantastic Four teammates, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, who debuted last month. This rapid introduction of characters sets a strong pace against competitors, tapping into Marvel's vast universe of heroes and villains.
WickedCube's viral project emerged from the community's desire for more Vanguard or tank-like characters. Although no rumors suggest Otto will appear in-game soon, WickedCube is already brainstorming more hero concepts, including Nightcrawler and Professor Xavier from the X-Men.
"The character roster at launch is large enough to keep the game enjoyable for a long time, and the rate at which they’ve promised to release new characters is mind-blowing," he added. "The designers clearly understand how to make a fun game, which, in my opinion, is the hardest thing to get right."
Marvel Rivals is gearing up for its Season 1 mid-season update on February 21, which will include the new character releases, balance changes, and gameplay tweaks. While awaiting the update, you can stay informed about recent layoffs at NetEase's Seattle branch and the studio's stance on rumors about planted hero leaks.
