Why Marvel Rivals' Hellfire Gala Is Its Most Comic Accurate…

Marvel Rivals has firmly established itself as one of the best shooters making waves in the genre. The new collaboration between NetEase and Marvel has not only introduced gamers to iconic Marvel characters that haven’t received much screen time, but also reinvigorated Marvel Comics sales. Marvel Rivals’ Season 2 is no exception, with its overarching theme and first new character addition pointing the spotlight at the game’s various mutants.

The Hellfire Gala has been firmly established in Marvel Rivals as an event hosted by Emma Frost on the living island, and mutant safe haven, Krakoa. This gala sees Earth’s mightiest heroes dressed to the nines and has led to some new haute couture for Marvel Rivals’ character roster. Both Krakoa and the Hellfire Gala are integral plot points to more recent X-Men storylines, which makes it a perfect theme for a Marvel Rivals season. Not only does the Hellfire Gala and Krakoa’s relevance to newer storylines make it easier for gamers unacquainted with the comics to jump in after learning about them in Rivals, but the nature of the Hellfire Gala specifically could set up Marvel Rivals for future success.

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The Hellfire Gala Star Vote Rewards Players a Year Later

Launched in-game on May 2, the Hellfire Gala Star Vote gives Marvel Rivals’ player base the chance to give their favorite character a new skin. Players who complete missions in this limited-time event will earn Voting Tokens. These tokens can then be used to vote on whether Emma Frost, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Cloak & Dagger, Wolverine, Black Widow, Bruce Banner, or Captain America should receive a new costume. After voting ten times, players will receive a special Gallery card featuring one of the aforementioned characters. However, there are a few catches. Players must first complete Acts 1 and 2 of the event before getting the chance to participate in voting during Act 3. But the bigger catch that holds bigger implications for Marvel Rivals is when this free skin will arrive in the game.

The winning character will receive a Hellfire Gala costume next year, which players will earn for free. While players may feel, rightfully, disappointed that they have to wait so long for a new free costume, this choice is actually in line with the comics. The Hellfire Gala is hosted annually, with new character designs and plot points occurring each time. Perhaps the Hellfire Gala will similarly be an annual event in Marvel Rivals.

What an Annual Hellfire Gala Season Could Look Like

Not only would an annual Hellfire Gala season perfectly line Marvel Rivals up to bat for new skin designs, but the event is also an incredible opportunity to introduce more mutants to the game’s character roster. Plenty of mutants have been leaked to Marvel Rivals already, though this information should, of course, be taken with a grain of salt. If true, players should expect characters like Professor X, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Gambit, and Jubilee in Marvel Rivals’ future. Developers at NetEase have also confirmed that they hope to add a new character to Marvel Rivals approximately every month. With so many mutants allegedly joining the game, it would be no surprise if some of these characters were saved until next year’s hypothetical Hellfire Gala, not just because of the theme, but for variety’s sake.

Hopefully, other characters besides those mentioned in the Gala Star Vote will receive Hellfire Gala skins at next year’s hypothetical event. After all, the eight characters listed in the vote, except for Emma Frost, already have Hellfire Gala costumes from this season. While alternative skins would certainly be appreciated by players, it would be great to see more variety in costume choices if Marvel Rivals decides to stick to its source material and make the Hellfire Gala an annual event.

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