NetEase may be gearing up for the release of their Overwatch clone Marvel Rivals this December, but they’ve just announced another Marvel-based game with Marvel Mystic Mayhem.
Unlike Rivals, Mystic Mayhem promises to be a team-based tactical RPG, but what it does have in common with the incoming shooter is that it’s going to have a roster of mystic-based Marvel characters that will be playable—even some that fans didn’t expect to be connected to the magic side of the universe.
Who are the Playable Characters in Mystic Mayhem?
Based on the title alone, it looks like the game will focus mainly on magic users, but like Spider-Man and Iron Man, some other characters from the IP have been brought in to fight the war against Doctor Strange's villain, Nightmare.
The official site for the game confirms the base roster, which includes:
Doctor Strange – The Sorcerer Supreme and face of all things magic in the Marvel IP.
Scarlet Witch – One of the most powerful mutants in the MCU who can alter reality.
Hulk – One of the strongest Marvel characters who seems to have been magically boosted for the game.
Armor – A member of the X-men who has the power to conjure a suit of armor around herself that can change in size.
Spider-Man – Not really a magic user, but a frequent Doctor Strange collaborator who could probably work with some magic boosts from a teammate. He does whatever a spider can.
Iron Man – More science than magic; it looks like Tony Stark was able to make some kind of armor that compliments the magic of his team members.
Mister Negative – Mister Negative has a handful of powers, but one specific thing he can do is imbue different weapons with his energy.
Lady Bullseye –Lady Bullseye has no apparent powers, but based on the mantle, she is probably efficient in turning everything she gets her hands on into a weapon. It’s also said she’s proficient in hand-to-hand combat and using the katana.
Psylocke – Another X-Men fan-favorite, Betsy Braddock, has special psychic powers she can use as deadly weapons. She also has telepathic abilities.
Doppelganger – A duplicate of Spider-Man with six arms and no brains. This force of nature does whatever a spider can and more.
Juggernaut – Professor X’s brother, who surprisingly is not a mutant. Juggernauts' powers come from the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, which grants a person invulnerability when they touch it.
Sleepwalker – One of the more obscure Marvel characters in the roster. Sleepwalker is a member of a group of ‘dream police’ and has clashed with Nightmare in the comics before. He has the ability to conjure illusions to trap enemies.
Moon Knight – Sometimes teased as Marvel’s version of Batman, Moon Knight is a mentally unstable former assassin who was granted moon powers by the Egyptian god Khonshu. MK has multiple personalities inside his head, each with a specialty regarding MK’s superheroing.
Misty Knight – A member of Heroes for Hire, Misty Knight is a professional detective with martial arts skills. What makes her unique is that she also has a bionic arc that has superhuman strength—but the rest of Misty’s body is normal, so she can’t leave anything her back or legs can’t handle.
Man-Thing – One of Marvel’s most complicated monsters, Man-Thing was a former human who was transformed into this low-intellect beast that is said to be pure instinct. He’s strong and has shapeshifting powers, but he also can sense people’s emotions—like fear.
The trailer has also revealed glimpses of some other characters that may not be playable during launch but will possibly be added to the game at a later date. No gameplay has been shown for them, but concept art in the preview has been teased:
Thor – The Norse God of Thunder who is probably fuelled by magic and should be a powerhouse when introduced to the game.
Black Knight – A member of the Avengers in the comics, Black Knight was a mild-mannered scientist who inherited a mystical sword that gave him special abilities. He’s also known to be a master tactician and rides a Pegasus.
Lady Sif/Valkyrie – It’s unclear which character was teased, but both Sif and Valkyrie are allies of Thor and are very skilled in combat. Both should be as sturdy as the average Asgardian.
Possible Villains in the Game
Some villain characters appeared in the teaser that weren’t announced in the roster, and so far, the only character that seems to be clear is the giant eyeball Shuma-Gorath (a Doctor Strange villain). Besides Nightmare, it does look like the other two characters are Lilith, the Mother of Demons, and either Marvel’s N’Kantu, a.k.a. The Living Mummy, or Brother Voodoo (because of the needles; he’s another Strange villain).
While it’s possible the villains aren’t playable, they could likely be active characters on the battlefield that players will have to go up against.
Just like the hero roster, it's possible that more villains can also be added to the game down the line, and with the dreamscape roster, it's possible that there could be alternate 'nightmare' versions of characters that already exist in the game.
Then again, this is just speculation. Until NetEase reveals more, all that fans can do is just guess.
When is Mystic Mayhem Releasing?
With the game just being announced and Marvel Rivals underway, NetEase may want to release this game sometime next year. Fans should expect the marketing for Rivals to ramp up this November, but after the game launches, it won’t be surprising if NetEase starts giving previews for the Mystic Mayhem.
If Midnight Suns has taught gamers anything, it’s best to give players a rundown of every character before the launch so that, on release day, nobody is spending most of the time just learning the ropes for each character.
Here’s the official description of the game:
“As Nightmare unearths the darkest dreams of the waking, reality morphs to reflect their deepest fears! Battle the Lord of Dreams as he invades the minds of iconic heroes and villains, awakening their inner fears to destroy the waking world!”
No official release date has been announced for Marvel Mystic Mayhem, but fans should expect it to launch for mobile platforms sometime next year.