With NetEase's new Overwatch clone Marvel Rivals entering its Clsoed Alpha state, fans of the upcoming Marvel multiplayer game are buying access from shady third-party key resellers. As search traffic spikes for the phrase "Marvel Rivals keys for sale", those who have managed to gain access to the title are selling their place for a tidy sum.
A quick search for Marvel Rivals on Google Trends shows that the phrase "Marvel Rivals keys for sale" has rapidly become one of the most-searched terms for NetEase's new multiplayer game.
Keys for the game have been listed on multiple key resellers, including Kinguin and G2A. As with any third-party game sellers, those who do end up buying access to the game are not guaranteed to actually get a key from any of these platforms.
Those who are listing Marvel Rivals keys for sale have priced access at wildly different prices. For example, a key to the closed alpha on Kinguin is listed at around $46/£37. On the other hand, G2A prices at the time of writing ask for a huge $64/£51 for access, the same price as a brand-new game.
Those who have access to the game before the Marvel Rivals release date received their game codes for free. Even when the game releases sometime in 2025, the multiplayer PvP game is expected to be free-to-play with cosmetic microtransactions across its huge hero roster. Furthermore, multiple open betas are expected to occur before release, so no one has to pay for access to the game.
However, in an industry now riddled with scalpers and profiteers coming for every aspect of gaming, it is completely unsurprising to see Marvel Rivals keys for sale online, especially at some of the exorbitant prices we're seeing around the web.
Over its beta period, Marvel Rivals has already been the centre of controversy with content creators being restricted to only speaking about the game positively in coverage. Furthermore, the majority of press outlets have been refused access to the game by NetEase following a public apology by the company for its restrictive content embargo.
Marvel Rivals is currently in development for PC with console ports not currently announced. However, we fully expect the game to arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series platforms sometime in the future.