A Marvel Rivals Player Created a Playable Doctor Octopus Concept and Fans Love It

NetEase Games' commitment to releasing a new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season hasn't stopped a talented player from creating a playable Doctor Octopus.

Reddit user WickedCube recently showcased a 30-second gameplay video of a Doctor Octopus concept for Marvel Rivals. The footage, seemingly from a testing environment, features a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner. The eight-armed Doctor Octopus, while rough around the edges, is instantly recognizable and displays well-considered mechanics. His arms allow for magnetized movement around obstacles, essentially enabling flight near stable structures – a clever adaptation for a game with destructible environments. The concept even includes named abilities: Havoc Claw (melee) and Wrecking Grip (ranged). The post has garnered significant attention, exceeding 16,000 upvotes.

WickedCube explained his inspiration, noting Doctor Octopus's unique design and the lack of a fully realized 3D playable version in other games. A former employee of Keen Software House, WickedCube is currently seeking contract work and prototyping mechanics. The recent PSN outage and some inspiring Doctor Octopus fan art provided the impetus to create this concept in Unity.

The positive community response has been incredibly rewarding for WickedCube, who hopes NetEase might incorporate some of his ideas. While he doesn't plan to further polish this specific design, he intends to release a playable version and share the process through a YouTube tutorial series and open-source code on GitHub.

NetEase is releasing two new official characters, Human Torch and The Thing, this Friday, following the recent additions of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. This rapid release schedule surpasses competitors, but the vast potential of Marvel's universe continues to inspire fan creations.

WickedCube's project stemmed from the community's desire for more Vanguard characters. While there's no official word on Doctor Octopus's inclusion, WickedCube is already developing concepts for Nightcrawler and Professor Xavier. He praises the game's design and the impressive pace of new character releases.

Marvel Rivals' Season 1 mid-season update arrives tomorrow, February 21st, including the new characters, balance adjustments, and gameplay refinements.