Marvel Rivals is set to launch next week, but the game has yet to reveal several details promising 33 characters and 8 maps at launch.
Just in, NetEase Games has revealed their new map of a HYDRA base, and what’s interesting is that there could be something huge secretly lurking in the fortress.
The Monster in the HYDRA Base
Enter HYDRA’s Charteris Base, a hidden fortress in the snow somewhere in Antarctica. Here’s the official reveal:
While the map is littered with everything fans can expect from a comic book villain’s ‘evil lair,’ the description does give a hint as to what kind of experiments the fictional terrorist group has been doing in their base; it reads:
“Battered into dormancy for decades, Hydra has hidden its dark ambitions behind the chaos of the times... but as time falls apart, that chaos will usher in a new era for the evil organization...
“Beneath Charteris Base in Antarctica, Hydra has reawakened a gateway to its otherworldly deity, and the key is the crystal formed from chronal energy. As the ancient Hive approaches from beyond, Hydra seeks to channel its power into a new army of super-soldiers.”
Who is Marvel’s Hive?
Hive was introduced in Secret Warriors back in 2009. Like Captain America, Hive is an experimental super soldier created by HYDRA to embody their organization's ideals. Hive is actually a combination of several parasites, and like Venom, it can take over a host and take advantage of its attributes.
Since Hive is several entities in one, he symbolizes the ‘many heads’ of the mythical hydra on its own, and some versions of him can possess other people.
Is Rivals’ Hive any Different?
Based on the description, it looks like Hive in Marvel Rivals isn’t going to be an experimental soldier but rather an ancient being that HYDRA has been trying to summon. Though previous incarnations of HYDRA have the skull with tentacles as their symbol, this version of HYDRA has Hive’s face on the logo, which means they could have a completely different origin for this timeline.
It’s not clear if the Hive will be part of the map, but it can be easy to imagine that his tentacles can form some kind of environmental hazard that players must avoid. Maybe NetEase is also looking to use him for some PvE missions.
Do We Have Our 8 Locations?
With the HYDRA Base revealed, there are now 6 maps revealed out of the 8 promised. Seeing that Yggsgard and Tokyo 2099 have two maps each, it’s likely that the recently revealed Birnin T’Challa map (Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda) and the HYDRA base will also have two locations each—rounding up the 8 maps split between 4 major timelines.
With so many more characters yet to be revealed, NetEase has quite the juggling act they must balance out in the build-up to the game’s launch. With recent Marvel duds like Avengers: A-Day, fans hope this is the video game win that Marvel desperately needs.
Marvel Rivals launches for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Dec. 6.