Marvel Rivals: Doctor Octopus Concept Wins Fan Acclaim

NetEase Games' commitment to releasing a new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season hasn't stopped one creative player from bringing their vision of a playable Doctor Octopus to life. Reddit user WickedCube recently unveiled a 30-second gameplay video showcasing a surprisingly polished, albeit rough-around-the-edges, Doctor Octopus for the game. The footage, seemingly from a testing environment featuring a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner, depicts a surprisingly well-realized eight-armed Doc Ock.

The video, despite its rough aesthetic, clearly demonstrates a well-conceived concept of how Doc Ock could function within Marvel Rivals. His arms, capable of magnetizing him to structures, allow for a unique form of traversal, particularly relevant in the game's destructible environments. WickedCube even included named abilities: "Havoc Claw" for melee attacks and "Wrecking Grip" for ranged combat. The impressive creation, boasting over 16,000 upvotes at the time of writing, is a testament to the creator's skill and vision.

WickedCube explained their inspiration, noting Doc Ock's iconic status and the unique challenge of implementing his tentacles in a 3D environment, a challenge rarely tackled before. The project, born from a recent PSN outage and inspired by some impressive Doc Ock fan art, represents a personal project for the indie developer, who previously worked with Keen Software House before focusing on independent projects.

The overwhelmingly positive reception has been incredibly rewarding for WickedCube, who hopes NetEase might incorporate some of their ideas should Doc Ock ever officially join the game. While there are no immediate plans to further polish the current model, WickedCube intends to release a playable version and share the development process through a YouTube tutorial series and open-source the code on GitHub, making it available on Itch.io.

This Friday, NetEase will release the Human Torch and The Thing, further bolstering Marvel Rivals' impressive roster, following the recent addition of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. This rapid expansion highlights the game's potential, leaving fans eager to see what other heroes and villains might join the fray. WickedCube, already envisioning future projects, has set their sights on Nightcrawler and Professor X as potential additions.

The positive reception to the Doc Ock prototype underscores the community's desire for more Vanguard-type characters. While no official announcements have been made regarding Doc Ock's inclusion, WickedCube's creation highlights the boundless potential within Marvel Rivals' universe. Marvel Rivals' Season 1 mid-season update, arriving February 21st, will include these new characters, balance changes, and more.