NetEase has added a new fan feature into Marvel Rivals, but not without costing their players.
As reported by Kotaku, Marvel Rivals players can now re-color their characters. This will be helpful for players so that they can distinguish between each other when using their characters. But on another level, it also enables players with a new layer of in-game creation, even if it’s a bit superficial.
However, NetEase waited a few days to explain what would be the catch. The studio added a new fifth currency to what’s already in the game, just to recolor characters. Unstable Molecules, are now joining Units, Lattice, Tokens, and Costume Coins.
So, what’s important here is the finer details. 1 Unstable Molecule is equal to one Lattice, so you can simply convert Lattice to do a recolor. You will need 600 Unstable Molecules to do one recolor.
And there lies the rub. 600 Unstable Molecules, which equals 600 Lattice, equals $ 6. While there is a way to earn Lattice in game for free, as a free-to-play game, it’s of course designed to make it time consuming and tedious to do so.
Of course, this isn’t new for live service games, but it’s certainly disappointing that a system that NetEase could offer with no monetization system at all was deliberately gated in this way. The last game we can remember that charged for recolors was Street Fighter V, and because Capcom made earning Fight Money unreasonably difficult to earn, it ruined the game, and arguably could have ruined the franchise as a whole.
Marvel Rivals is definitely much more popular than Street Fighter V and we don’t expect a backlash at the same level. Just because the fans are OK with it doesn’t mean it’s OK.
Now, NetEase’s explanation does indicate that they’re still starting out in implementing this recolor system. Recolors will only be available for select costumes, and of course you will have to earn them in-game first. NetEase promises to add recolors to more costumes, and also add more ways to earn Unstable Molecules in-game in the future.
So it’s possible that most characters won’t even have recolors yet when it launches, limiting how much revenue NetEase could make from the system. But just because the fans are willing to accept it doesn’t mean that the system is fair, and potentially, that it meets rules and regulations around free-to-play monetization.
We imagine that the EU will be front and center to at least investigate Marvel Rivals’ recolor system, but perhaps NetEase will proactively improve how easy and available recoloring will be. Clearly, the easiest way to do it would be to just add it free of any monetization or gameplay system element, as straightforward options in the menu.
