Sadot The Gamer recapped a busy week for Marvel Rivals, covering new shop cosmetics, Season 4 story teases, lore deep dives, and developer clarification on matchmaking controversy.
Free Mantis cosmetics via Will of Galacta Twitch drops
The Will of Galacta campaign has returned, this time offering free Mantis cosmetics for players who watch Marvel Rivals streams on Twitch under the game’s category.
To claim:
- Link your game account on the Marvel Rivals website.
- Watch participating streams before September 5.
These rewards are free for both skin collectors and casual players.
Winter Soldier & Cloak and Dagger polarity skins arrive this week
As shown on the official roadmap, two new shop skins drop this week:
- Cloak & Dagger polarity skin – Dagger wields the Phoenix Force while Cloak sports symbiote armor. Though not comic-accurate, Dagger did briefly host a symbiote during Marvel’s King in Black run.
- Winter Soldier polarity skin – An original Marvel Rivals concept blending Phoenix and symbiote elements, with armor resembling Blade’s polarity costume.
The skins release August 15 (or August 14 at 10 PM ET for East Coast players). The preview trailer also teases a Phoenix Venom skin set to arrive next week.
Queen’s Codex mini pass rewards and Season 4 preview
The ongoing Queen’s Codex mini battle pass offers:
- Free Symbiote Thing skin.
- Premium Phoenix Black Widow skin.
- Premium Queen in Black Hela legendary outfit.
Embedded in the pass are lore gallery cards hinting at Season 4. The final card, Nowhere Left to Run, shows Hela—no longer in her Queen in Black form—imprisoned in a dungeon by a mysterious figure named Dizang.
Lore breakdown: the Eighth City and the mystery of Dizang
The Eighth City in Marvel Rivals is reimagined from Marvel Comics lore:
- In the comics, the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven (including K’un-Lun) each have an Immortal Weapon. The Eighth City was a prison realm sealed by the first Iron Fist.
- In Rivals, the Eighth City is now a sanctuary for those banished from Heaven, which itself was once one of the Ten Realms before being separated by Odin.
Dizang, the city’s ruler, claims to have come to atone for his sins. While some speculate he may be Daredevil—referencing Marvel’s Shadowland arc—others point to Angela, Odin’s first child, due to the Heaven connection. Angela has fought and defeated Hela in the comics.
Possible Season 4 direction
With Iron Fist already in-game, lore pointing to K’un-Lun, and ties to the Heavenly Cities, Season 4 may introduce:
- A new K’un-Lun-themed map.
- A new hero — potentially Angela (as a Vanguard) or Daredevil (as a Duelist).
The creator emphasized the need for more tanks and healers instead of another DPS.
Matchmaking controversy: EOMM accusations addressed
During an interview for the $3M Marvel Rivals Ignite esports finals, producer Guang Guang was asked about Engagement Optimized Matchmaking (EOMM).
EOMM is often accused of “rigging” games to keep players engaged, rather than matching purely by skill.
Key points:
- Guang Guang stated a matchmaking explainer video will release next week.
- Misleading social posts falsely claimed he confirmed EOMM use.
- Marvel Rivals’ official channels reiterated the game does not use EOMM.
The creator noted that many perceived issues stem from:
- A large number of inexperienced hero shooter players in the community.
- Account boosting and high-rank account sales.
- Casual-friendly ranked design allowing players to climb without high win rates.
What’s next
Upcoming content includes:
- New game mode.
- Symbiote Iron Man skin.
- Continued Season 4 teasers.
- Matchmaking explainer video.
Marvel Rivals fans can also look forward to an open-world Iron Man solo game currently in development.
Source: Sadot The Gamer
When are the Winter Soldier and Cloak & Dagger polarity skins releasing?
The new skins will be available in the shop on August 15 (or August 14 at 10 PM ET if you’re on the East Coast).
How do I get the free Mantis cosmetics?
You can earn them through the Will of Galacta Twitch drops campaign:
- Link your Marvel Rivals account on the official website.
- Watch Marvel Rivals streams in the Twitch category before September 5.
- Rewards will be added to your account automatically.
What’s special about the Cloak & Dagger polarity skin?
- Dagger wields the Phoenix Force.
- Cloak is clad in symbiote armor.
- While Dagger did briefly become a symbiote host in the comics, this is the first time she’s been given the Phoenix Force in any medium.
What about the Winter Soldier polarity skin?
- A Marvel Rivals original design.
- Blends Phoenix and symbiote elements.
- Armor style is similar to Blade’s polarity costume.
- Bucky Barnes has never had Phoenix or symbiote powers in the comics.
What is the Queen’s Codex mini battle pass?
It’s a limited-time pass offering:
- Free Symbiote Thing skin.
- Premium Phoenix Black Widow skin.
- Premium Queen in Black Hela legendary skin.
It also includes lore gallery cards that tease Season 4’s storyline.
What is the Eighth City in Marvel Rivals?
In Marvel lore:
- The Eighth City was originally a prison realm in the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven storyline, sealed by the first Iron Fist.
In Marvel Rivals: - It’s reimagined as a sanctuary for those exiled from Heaven.
- Ruled by a mysterious figure named Dizang.
Who is Dizang?
- An original character in Marvel Rivals, though some speculate he’s Daredevil (due to devil imagery and past story arcs) or connected to Angela (Odin’s first child from Heaven).
- He imprisons Hela after she flees from Knull, suggesting her “kin” may come for justice.
What does this mean for Season 4?
- Likely to feature K’un-Lun or other Heavenly Cities as a map.
- Possible new hero could be Angela (Vanguard) or Daredevil (Duelist).
- Season 4 starts September 12.
What is EOMM and does Marvel Rivals use it?
- Engagement Optimized Matchmaking (EOMM) is a system that prioritizes keeping players engaged rather than purely matching by skill.
- The developers have repeatedly stated Marvel Rivals does not use EOMM.
- A matchmaking explainer video is set to release next week.
Why do matches sometimes feel unbalanced?
According to the creator:
- Many players are new to hero shooters and still learning.
- Some accounts are boosted or bought.
- Ranked is casual-friendly, allowing players to climb without high win rates.
- This can lead to skill mismatches in certain games.
What other content is coming soon?
- Phoenix Venom skin.
- Symbiote Iron Man skin.
- New game mode.
- More Season 4 reveals.
