Doctor Octopus Concept by Marvel Rivals Player Wins Fan Approval

NetEase Games has committed to introducing a new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season, yet that hasn't deterred one innovative player from crafting their vision of a playable Doctor Octopus.

Earlier this week, Reddit user WickedCube captivated the r/MarvelRivals community with a 30-second video showcasing what appears to be early gameplay footage from NetEase's popular hero shooter. At first glance, the clip features a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner suspended in midair in a testing environment. However, keen-eyed Marvel enthusiasts will quickly identify this eight-armed figure as a rough, Marvel Rivals-inspired rendition of the iconic Spider-Man antagonist, Doctor Octopus.

We need more vanguards, so i made one (Doctor Octopus)
byu/Wickedcube inmarvelrivals

The video, though somewhat stiff and humorous, unmistakably captures the essence of Doctor Octopus. With a bit of imagination, viewers can envision how Otto Octavius might navigate the game's world, utilizing his arms to magnetize and maneuver around obstacles, effectively allowing him to "fly" near stable structures. This is particularly intriguing in a game known for its destructible environments. WickedCube's concept even includes specific abilities like Havoc Claw for melee attacks and Wrecking Grip for ranged combat. The post has garnered an impressive 16,000 upvotes, showcasing the community's enthusiasm for this fan-made creation.

WickedCube shared his inspiration, stating, "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 idea to create this character stemmed from a moment of downtime during a recent PSN outage. While unable to play Marvel Rivals, WickedCube stumbled upon some inspiring Doc Ock fan art on Twitter, prompting him to take matters into his own hands.

Doctor Octopus in the style of Marvel Rivals
.#MarvelRivals #MarvelRivalsfanart pic.twitter.com/d3XHXMZsCL

— CoryHarris.jpg (@LordDepis) January 26, 2025

The positive feedback from thousands of players has been "incredibly rewarding" for WickedCube, who expressed his willingness to see NetEase adopt some of his ideas if Doctor Octopus were to be officially added to the game. Although he doesn't plan 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 the earlier release of their Fantastic Four teammates, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. This rapid introduction of new characters showcases a strong start that surpasses many competitors in the genre, yet fans continue to dream of the vast potential within Marvel's universe.

WickedCube's project was inspired by the community's call for more Vanguard or tank-like characters. While there's no indication that Doctor Octopus will join the game anytime soon, WickedCube is already brainstorming other potential heroes, including Nightcrawler and Professor Xavier.

"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," WickedCube remarked. "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 introduce the new characters, balance changes, and gameplay tweaks. In the meantime, you can stay informed about recent layoffs at NetEase's Seattle branch and the studio's stance on rumors about planted hero leaks.