Doctor Octopus Concept by Marvel Rivals Player Wins Fan Approval

NetEase Games has committed to introducing at least one new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season, yet that hasn't stopped fans from getting creative. Reddit user WickedCube recently delighted the r/MarvelRivals community by sharing a 30-second video showcasing a rough gameplay concept of Doctor Octopus, a classic Spider-Man villain, in the style of NetEase's popular hero shooter.

The footage features a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner suspended in midair within a testing room, but keen-eyed Marvel fans will quickly spot the eight-armed figure as an early, unrefined version of Doctor Octopus. Despite its stiffness and playful nature, the video offers a clear vision of what Doc Ock might bring to Marvel Rivals. WickedCube's concept allows Doc Ock to maneuver around obstacles using his tentacles, essentially granting flight when near stable structures—a crucial feature in a game with destructible environments. The concept even includes named abilities like Havoc Claw for melee attacks and Wrecking Grip for ranged moves. With over 16,000 upvotes at the time of publication, WickedCube's solo project has captured significant attention.

WickedCube shared his inspiration, stating, "Doc Ock has always been one of the coolest villains in Spider-Man, and his tentacles would be a challenge to implement. As far as I know, they haven't been fully implemented with playable 3D movement in a game before." The idea was sparked during a recent PSN outage, when WickedCube, unable to play Marvel Rivals, decided to create his own version after seeing impressive Doc Ock fan art on Twitter.

The India-based indie game developer, who previously worked with Space Engineers studio Keen Software House before resigning in January 2024 to focus on personal projects, found the challenge of creating a controllable Doctor Octopus in Unity both motivating and rewarding. The positive reception from thousands of players has encouraged WickedCube to consider sharing his work through a YouTube tutorial series, open-sourcing the code on GitHub, and making playable versions available on Itch.

While NetEase continues its Marvel Rivals post-launch plans with the introduction of the Human Torch and The Thing this Friday—joining their Fantastic Four teammates, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, who debuted last month—the community's desire for more Vanguard or tank-like characters remains strong. Although there's no indication that Otto Octavius will soon join the game, WickedCube is already brainstorming additional characters, including Nightcrawler and Professor Xavier from the X-Men.

As Marvel Rivals gears up for its Season 1 mid-season update on February 21, featuring balance changes, gameplay tweaks, and more, the game's robust character roster and rapid release schedule continue to excite players. Meanwhile, you can stay updated on recent layoffs at NetEase's Seattle branch and the studio's stance on rumors about planted hero leaks.