The lootbox debate has returned to Marvel Rivals. New datamines tied to the hero shooter’s upcoming Season 4 suggest NetEase may be preparing to introduce randomized monetization despite earlier assurances that the system had been scrapped.
A History of Mixed Signals
The controversy dates back to late 2024, when players uncovered references to currencies, rarity tiers, and lottery-style mechanics buried in Marvel Rivals’ files. NetEase responded by stating those elements were remnants of an early development phase and would not appear in the final game1.
Instead, the studio introduced Combat Chests in Season 2.5, a hybrid of a battle pass and progression system that allowed players to unlock cosmetics in a more transparent, XP-driven format. The move was seen as a compromise, steering clear of the gambling-like mechanics that have drawn regulatory scrutiny around the world.
New Leaks, New Concerns
But this week, RivalsInfo reported fresh datamines from Season 4’s client files. The update contains references to “Mysteries,” the in-development codename for loot boxes. Additional strings such as “cosmic mysteries number” appear to link directly back to the scrapped system.
Not only that, but mysterious empty spaces have been seen on the upcoming Battle Pass. Listed with a placeholder image as “Coming Soon”, these could be where Netease will slot the Mystery Boxes, a tactic that Overwatch 2 has deployed recently to great success.
What Will Be In The Marvel Rivals Lootboxes?
We don’t know until they’re officially announced (which may be next season, or not at all). If they’re taking a page out of Overwatch’s book, it’ll be older skins like those you can buy with Costume Coins, along with recolours, emotes, and sprays. Based on X0Xleak’s list of S4 additions, we know no new item styles have been added, and the usual amount of skins have been added so it’s unlikely to be a new pool of items.
The Lootbox Debate
Officially, lootboxes started with Maple Story in 2003, inspired by japanese capsule machines. They hit their stride with games like Team Fortress 2 and Counter Strike: Global Offensive when the Steam market allowed players to sell their loot for up to thousands of dollars online.
From here, it became a form of gambling, and since then governments in markets like Australia and the EU have enacted restrictions or rating requirements. Now, lootboxes can only be free unlockables in some parts of the world. So the fact that is NetEase considering adding “gatcha” mechanics to Marvel Rivals already has fans debating whether it’ll improve the game, or just add another addictive dopamine rush for the company to make money off.
As of now, NetEase has not commented on the new leaks. Whether “Mysteries” represents an active plan for Season 4 or another round of abandoned experiments remains to be seen.
