In a world where I’m constantly wincing in pained surprise at the age of some of my favorite games, Marvel Rivals actually feels like the opposite. I forget, due to the amount of content in the game and its popularity, that it’s only been around for a matter of months. NetEase has just reminded me of the hero shooter’s infancy by announcing a new event that marks the one year anniversary of its closed alpha – the first time players went hands-on with the game publicly. To celebrate, it’s doing something pretty awesome. Not only will the Marvel Rivals Galacta’s Gift event give you the chance to earn some free rewards (including a costume for your favorite hero) but it will also bring back its first ever battle pass, making it available to buy once again.
There have been calls for a while now to give players a second chance at grabbing the Season 0 battle pass in Marvel Rivals. While the multiplayer game doesn’t timegate battle passes once you’ve bought them, letting you unlock things at your own pace, there are a few of very good reasons why people would’ve missed out on Season 0.
The first is that it wasn’t around for long – this was Marvel Rivals’ ‘preseason’, effectively, and only lasted around a month. The game’s full live service seasons last around three months. The second is that some players may have joined Marvel Rivals after Season 0 and missed out on some of its beloved cosmetics. The third is that there would’ve been some understandable reluctance in those early days of Marvel Rivals. While it launched to huge fanfare and was popular right out of the gates, there’s always a danger with any free-to-play multiplayer game that you (and the thousands of people you play with) will fall out of love with it. As a result, spending money on cosmetics for a game you’re not sure you’ll be playing in a few months’ time seems like a risky move.
Well, Marvel Rivals has now found its feet, so splashing some cash on skins and premium battle passes doesn’t seem like as big a gamble now as it did back then. As a result, the short but sweet Season 0 battle pass is returning.
Once the Galacta’s Gift update goes live, “the [Season 0] Battle Pass will be available at a special, limited-time price of 590 Lattice,” NetEase confirms. It also makes it clear that there isn’t a free track – this is a premium purchase only.
However, the Galacta’s Gift event does contain some other opportunities to grab some freebies. “By simply playing the game, you can earn free rewards. From Nameplates, Sprays, and Chrono Shield Cards to a Costume Coin that lets you redeem the debut costume for any one of the 33 heroes featured in Season 0,” NetEase says. This is a really nice touch that will ensure you’ve got a piece of your main’s history stashed away in your costume locker.
The Galacta’s Gift event and the window to buy the Season 0 battle pass will begin on Thursday, May 15 at 2am PDT / 5am EDT / 10am BST / 11am CEST and ends on Thursday, May 29 at 2am PDT / 5am EDT / 10am BST / 11am CEST.
So, get ready to earn those free event rewards and (if you do pick it up) grind through the game’s debut battle pass. To help you out, head over to our Marvel Rivals tier list. Or if you want even more freebies, our Marvel Rivals codes guide is always on hand to get you the goods.
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