Doctor Octopus Concept by Marvel Rivals Player Wins Fan Approval

NetEase Games has committed to introducing at least one new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season, yet that hasn't deterred one innovative player from envisioning a playable Doctor Octopus. Reddit user WickedCube recently amazed the r/MarvelRivals community by sharing a 30-second video showcasing what appears to be preliminary gameplay from NetEase's popular hero shooter. The footage initially seems to feature a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner suspended in midair within a testing facility, but it's actually a rough, Marvel Rivals-inspired rendition of the iconic Spider-Man villain, Doctor Octopus.

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

The video, though somewhat stiff and comical, clearly captures the essence of Doctor Octopus. With a bit of imagination, viewers can see a well-considered concept of how Doc Ock might look and maneuver if NetEase decides to include Otto Octavius in Marvel Rivals. WickedCube's creation allows the character to navigate around obstacles using his arms, essentially enabling flight as long as he remains near a stable structure—a crucial feature in a game with destructible environments. This concept even includes named abilities like Havoc Claw for melee attacks and Wrecking Grip for ranged moves. With over 16,000 upvotes at the time of publication, this fan-made project has garnered significant attention and appreciation.

“Doc Ock has always been one of the coolest villains in Spider-Man, and his tentacles would be a challenge to implement,” WickedCube shared, explaining his inspiration. “To my knowledge, they haven't been fully implemented with playable 3D movement in a game before.”

Motivated by his inability to play during a recent PSN outage, WickedCube decided to create his own version of Doctor Octopus. The India-based indie developer, who previously worked with Space Engineers studio Keen Software House before resigning in January 2024 to focus on personal projects, saw this as an opportunity to prototype new mechanics. He found inspiration in some impressive Doc Ock fan art while browsing Twitter.

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

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

The community's positive response has been "incredibly rewarding" for WickedCube, who hopes that NetEase might consider his ideas if Doc Ock is added to Marvel Rivals. Although he doesn't plan to refine the design further, he intends to release a playable version soon and share his process through a YouTube tutorial series. Additionally, he plans to make the code available on GitHub and the playable versions accessible on Itch.

NetEase is set to expand Marvel Rivals with the introduction of two new official characters this Friday: the Human Torch and The Thing, following their Fantastic Four teammates, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, who were introduced last month. This robust launch schedule positions Marvel Rivals ahead of its competitors, tapping into the vast potential of Marvel's universe of heroes and villains.

WickedCube's project emerged from the community's call for more Vanguard or tank-like characters. Although no rumors suggest Doctor Octopus will appear in-game anytime soon, WickedCube is already conceptualizing 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,” he 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 balance changes, gameplay tweaks, and the aforementioned new characters. In the meantime, you can stay informed about recent layoffs at NetEase's Seattle branch and why the studio isn't addressing rumors about planted hero leaks.