NetEase Games has committed to introducing at least one new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season, yet this hasn't stopped one inventive player from envisioning a playable Doctor Octopus. Reddit user WickedCube captivated the r/MarvelRivals community earlier this week with a captivating 30-second video showcasing what appears to be initial gameplay from NetEase's popular hero shooter. At first glance, the clip features a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner suspended in midair within a testing room, but it's actually an early, 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

Though the animation is somewhat stiff and quirky, the resemblance to Doctor Octopus is undeniable. A closer look reveals a well-considered concept of what Doc Ock might look and play like if NetEase decides to include Otto Octavius in Marvel Rivals. With his arms capable of magnetizing to and navigating around obstacles, WickedCube's creation allows the character to "fly" as long as he remains near a stable structure – a crucial feature in a game featuring destructible environments. This preliminary Doc Ock concept even includes specific abilities such as Havoc Claw for melee attacks and a ranged move known as Wrecking Grip. With over 16,000 upvotes at the time of publication, it's a testament to the creativity and potential of a single individual's work.

"Doc Ock has always been one of the coolest villains in Spider-Man, and his tentacles would be a challenge to implement," WickedCube shared, highlighting his inspiration. "As far as I know, they haven't been fully implemented with playable 3D movement in a game before."

Motivated by the recent PSN outage that prevented him from playing Marvel Rivals, WickedCube, an indie game developer from India who previously worked with Space Engineers studio Keen Software House, decided to bring his vision to life. "It all started when PSN was down and I couldn’t play Marvel Rivals," he said. "While browsing Twitter, I came across some really cool Doc Ock fan art. I thought, ‘Since I can't play right now, why not make it myself?’"

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

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

The community's enthusiastic response has seen thousands of players praising WickedCube's Doc Ock concept, with many urging NetEase to consider adding the character to the game. WickedCube finds the reception "incredibly rewarding" and is open to the idea of NetEase adopting some of his concepts if Doctor Octopus is officially introduced. Although he has no plans to refine the design further, he aims to release a playable version in the near future.

"After seeing the response on Reddit, I want to share this and future concepts as a YouTube tutorial series," WickedCube added. "I also plan to open-source the code on GitHub and make the playable versions available on Itch."

NetEase continues to expand Marvel Rivals with the introduction of two new characters this Friday: the Human Torch and The Thing, following their Fantastic Four teammates, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, who debuted last month. This rapid character rollout showcases a strong start that surpasses many competitors in the genre, yet fans continue to explore the vast potential of Marvel's expansive universe.

WickedCube's project was driven by the community's call for more Vanguard, or tank-like characters, in the game. While there's no solid indication that Otto will appear in Marvel Rivals anytime soon, WickedCube is already brainstorming concepts for other heroes, including X-Men favorites 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 set to roll out its Season 1 mid-season update on February 21, featuring the new character releases alongside balance adjustments and gameplay enhancements. In the meantime, you can stay informed about recent layoffs affecting the U.S. team at NetEase's Seattle branch, as well as the studio's stance on rumors about planted hero leaks.