Marvel Rivals is on thin ice at the moment. With its May 15 anniversary update, NetEase is giving fans another shot at the original Season 0 Battle Pass—something that’s been both requested and dreaded depending on which side of the player base you ask.
It seems like a solid idea: if you missed them earlier, here’s another chance to grab those exclusive skins. However, it has brought about a flood of tension among the game’s OG players. The Season 0 Battle Pass was originally meant to be a limited-time reward system—something that marked the beginning of Marvel Rivals’ journey.
From day one, players have proudly worked for skins, cosmetics, and in-game perks. But this new move brings it all back for anyone to buy, albeit at a discounted rate of 590 Lattice (roughly $6). There’s no free version, and you’ll need to grind it yourself, but the pass doesn’t expire once purchased. It may seem just, but it’s not sitting well with all.
As an OG player, it feels like the exclusivity I earned is now being sold back to the masses. It feels like we're seeing the start of a trend where time-limited content isn't really all that limited, and early backers are left watching once-rare items become easily accessible.
This goes against the unspoken rule of prestige. Some players, especially newcomers, are just grateful they can finally enjoy the content they missed. People are also becoming more concerned that this re-release may establish a precedent.
NetEase hinted that future battle passes might also return, though with a two-season gap and a 20% price increase. The studio says it's attempting to strike a balance between access and fairness, but with ongoing re-releases, the pressure to buy "before it disappears" starts to lose its meaning.
This resembles Helldivers 2’s warbonds, where everything is still there, but it comes with a heavier grind. It’s not inherently negative, but it does blur the boundary between valuing early backers and pushing for long-term revenue.
While correlation doesn’t mean causation, the drop shows that updates affecting exclusivity and rewards might not be working as expected. Players are either burned out, frustrated, or moving on, but others are praising the update.
People who couldn’t afford a decent rig during the early months, or those who didn’t main a character until later, now get to engage with content they would’ve otherwise missed forever.
Re-releasing past content might be a win for accessibility, but it risks alienating the very players who built the game’s early following. NetEase has taken a gamble here, and the community's reaction over the next few weeks will be key to whether this choice was bold or a mistake.