The Marvel Rivals developer has responded to the backlash surrounding Storm’s new summer skin. NetEase apologized to the community and promised that players will receive a free Legendary upgrade for the Sacred Skies swimsuit cosmetic soon.
Marvel Rivals Storm Summer Skin Is Getting a Free Legendary Upgrade
When Marvel Rivals recently launched Summer Festival Vol. 2, players immediately became angry after learning that Storm’s Sacred Skies swimsuit cosmetic was not Legendary. This led to intense backlash online, as many users accused the developer of having a bias against the X-Men character. NetEase has now responded to the controversy and apologized to the community.
“Dear Rivals! We’ve seen the community’s feedback regarding today’s announcement of Storm’s most recent costume, as well as the overall sentiment towards her cosmetic options. We hear your passion and want to share our plan going forward with the community.” NetEase then announced that it would be upgrading the Marvel Rivals Storm summer skin for free in a future update.
“1. We will be upgrading the Sacred Skies swimsuit costume to Legendary for free in the near future. This upgrade will include an all-new lobby animation and an updated MVP animation. The costume will still be sold at the current price of $16. 2. Players who purchase the costume will receive a free Ultimate effect upgrade. 3. We want to ensure the community that there will be more Storm Legendary-tier costumes coming, so please keep your eyes on the skies over the rest of the year.”
Why Did the Marvel Rivals Storm Summer Skin Cause Backlash?
The Marvel Rivals Storm summer skin sparked backlash because she was the only character in the entire game not to receive a Legendary cosmetic. Instead, the Sacred Skies Storm skin was Epic rarity, which meant it was missing the following features:
- Special Lobby Animation
- MVP Animation
- Ultimate Effect
However, many players were particularly critical of NetEase for giving Storm the only lower-tier summer skin in the entire game. This also follows past controversies in which players have felt that Marvel Rivals has neglected POC characters. For example, users were recently upset that Moon Girl wasn’t playable despite her partner, Devil Dinosaur, being added to the game.
Reacting to the Summer Storm Skin, one angry user on X wrote, “This is legitimately insane. The Marvel Rivals devs are going to hell for this. Storm, I’m so sorry.” Another frustrated player replied, “Marvel Rivals has made it clear their game is not a safe space or welcoming of its black playerbase.” One user simply vented, “They gotta give way more attention to the POC characters in Marvel Rivals.”
In response to the backlash, NetEase also addressed players accusing the developer of bias. “Our number one goal is to create a positive community for everyone who loves this game. And while we understand that tensions run high, harassment of our staff, including the development team and moderators, is not acceptable.”
More Marvel Rivals Storm Legendary Skins Are Coming
Although the Sacred Skies summer skin will remain priced at $16, anyone who purchases it will receive the Legendary upgrade and new Ultimate effect for free. NetEase has not revealed when the update will be released, only stating that it is coming in the “near future.”
The developer also promised that more Legendary Storm costumes will be released throughout the rest of the year. For now, the free Sacred Skies upgrade should address the biggest complaints surrounding the Marvel Rivals Storm summer skin.
The post Marvel Rivals Dev Responds to Storm Summer Skin Backlash appeared first on VICE.
