Marvel Rivals’ battle pass still gives players massive FOMO, and it should be fixed

Marvel Rivals has grown to be a prominent title in the hero shooter landscape, stunning players with its iconic Marvel aesthetic and fast-paced gameplay. One of its most prominent features is a battle pass system that claims to eliminate the classic FOMO by never expiring. Once you purchase it, you can grind it whenever you want.

On paper, this appears to be a win for players bored of the never-ending seasonal grind in titles like Apex Legends or Fortnite. But delve a little further, and the flaws in this supposed player-friendly structure emerge. Even though it has no expiration date, Marvel Rivals’ battle pass still causes FOMO, which is a problem that needs to be addressed.

Marvel Rivals should take notes from Halo to make Battle Passes more accessible

Battle passes in Marvel Rivals do not expire once acquired, which is a welcome change that mirrors Halo Infinite’s player-first mentality. Unlike most shooters, where missing a season means losing special rewards, Marvel Rivals allows you to work on past passes indefinitely—as long as you acquired them during their active season.

But that’s the catch: a battle pass cannot be purchased after the season has ended. If you arrive late to the party or take a break from the game, those sought cosmetics — such as a free Peni skin — are permanently locked away unless you purchase it in time. This creates an anomaly for a free-to-play game, where the genre thrives on accessibility, assuring that everyone has a fair chance at having fun without paywalls that prevent core material from being accessed. However, by confining battle pass purchases to a seasonal timeframe, Marvel Rivals completely rejects this philosophy.

On the other hand, compare it to games like Halo Infinite. Battle passes do not expire and can be purchased at any time. Missed Season 1? No problem, pick it up years later and continue to grind. This openness completely removes FOMO, allowing players to interact on their own terms, which Marvel Rivals need to take notes from. A true free-to-play system would not penalize new or returning users with “you had to be there” restrictions. Instead, it would keep all passes in the store, allowing anyone to get it and complete when they were ready. The current structure, while an improvement over expiring passes, nonetheless relies on artificial scarcity to pressure purchases.

Marvel Rivals players demand fully open Battle Pass system to truly make it stand out

So, what do players really want? While they love the no-expiration feature, at the same time they dislike the inability to purchase earlier passes. They would rather want a system that rewards their dedication towards the game without offering a limited time only bait. Many consider Halo Infinite to be the gold standard for battle passes, as it balances accessibility and engagement.

On the other hand, some players are dissatisfied with the slow growth associated with Chrono Token challenges, and desire a more organic grind. Think of XP earned during matches rather than random activities, like in games like Fortnite. Thus, Marvel Rivals could get rid of the FOMO-inducing purchase window and make its battle pass a distinguishing feature in shooters.

Combine the fully accessible passes with a hybrid advancement system that keeps challenges for added rewards while also allowing match XP to contribute, emulating Helldivers 2’s flexible approach. This would organically reward player effort rather than requiring daily logins or hero-specific activities that interfere with teamwork.

Marvel Rivals has the opportunity to outperform competition by completely adopting its anti-FOMO promise by unlocking every pass for all players, at any time, which would solidify its reputation as a shooter that values our time and money. Until then, the shadow of FOMO persists, dampening an otherwise flawless title.