Marvel Rivals promises its new feature is not “pay-to-win” and will be highly exclusive

NetEase Games has released an exciting update for Marvel Rivals on May 15, 2025, the one-year anniversary of the game’s Closed Alpha Test. This patch brings the Galacta’s Gift event, a Season 0 Battle Pass replay, and new cosmetics.

The Galacta’s Gift event rewards players for just playing matches by providing free Nameplates, Sprays, Chrono Shield Cards, and the coveted outfit Coin, which can be used to unlock a debut outfit for any of the 33 Season 0 heroes. The event runs from May 15 to May 29, coinciding with the limited-time return of the Season 0 Battle Pass, which costs 590 Lattice.

Unlike its last run, this pass does not provide any free rewards and requires the Luxury Battle Pass to obtain special cosmetics like Loki and Scarlet Witch skins. Once acquired, the pass has no expiration date, allowing players to unlock rewards whenever they want. However, the introduction of Chrono Shield Cards caused some criticism, with gamers fearing a pay-to-win mechanic due to the cards’ capacity to prevent rank loss in Competitive mode until NetEase stepped in to explain that’s not the case.

Marvel Rivals devs reveal Chrono Shield Cards are not purchasable and come with limitations

On May 15, 2025, NetEase Games responded to community complaints regarding Marvel Rivals’ new Chrono Shield Cards with an X post, defining their function and allaying fears of a pay-to-win system. These cards, launched as part of the Galacta’s Gift event, are intended to make the competitive grind easier for lower-ranked players, particularly those ranked Gold or lower.

The community initially was concerned that the cards would jeopardize competitive integrity, with some thinking that they would be sold, allowing rank boosting or trolling. The devs wrote: “The purpose is to allow lower-ranked players to enter ranked mode with even less pressure through this mechanism.” This limitation avoids high-rank abuse and addresses concerns about rank inflation.

The post stressed that Chrono Shield Cards are not available for purchase in the in-game shop, assuring their accessibility without spending real money. Chrono Shield Cards allow players to activate a Chrono Shield, which prevents rank point loss following a Competitive mode defeat. Unlike the current Chrono Shield feature, which recharges automatically after losses and can only be activated once, these cards allow for manual activation with a cap of 20 per player that resets each season.