Marvel Rivals is receiving a substantial update that will significantly reduce its install size across PC and consoles, developer NetEase announced. This optimization, which accompanies the addition of the supervillain The Hood, is achieved through a "massive texture compression overhaul."
On PC, the game's install size will decrease by approximately 40GB, a notable reduction from its current 124GB. Players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles will see a reduction of up to 15GB. According to creative director Guangyun Chen, this downsizing is performed without any compromise to the game's stylized graphics. The update will necessitate a full redownload of the game, though the smaller file size should mitigate the inconvenience.
This reduction in game size comes at a time when PC component prices, particularly for RAM and SSDs, have seen significant increases. Global shortages of NAND flash memory chips have driven up SSD costs, making storage a more significant consideration for gamers. The trend of ever-larger game install sizes, fueled by high-resolution assets and uncompressed audio, has further exacerbated these storage concerns.
Beyond the technical improvements, Marvel Rivals is also continuing its thematic event schedule. In preparation for the arrival of Doctor Doom later this year, the game has been releasing limited-time modes inspired by Marvel Cinematic Universe Avengers films. The game has already celebrated modes based on Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. This month will feature an Avengers: Infinity War-themed mode, followed by an Avengers: Endgame mode in October, and concluding with an Avengers: Doomsday mode in December.
In other related news, the first collectible figure inspired by Marvel Rivals, a Hot Toys rendition of the superhero Luna Snow, has been announced. The figure is priced at $280.