Is Marvel Rivals really free? The honest receipt

Every Marvel Rivals hero, no unlock fee

Marvel Rivals is a 6v6 team shooter with a large roster of Marvel heroes and villains. NetEase's own developer notes are unusually blunt: heroes, maps and other gameplay elements are completely free. There's no hero currency to farm and no rotation of free heroes; the whole roster is there from your first match.

That makes it one of the cleanest free deals among hero shooters. A new player can try any character immediately, which matters in a game where team-up abilities between specific heroes are a core idea.

The game is on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and NetEase's own launcher), per the official site. There's no Switch version.

Compare that with older hero shooters, where you often had to farm currency to try a new character. In Marvel Rivals, when a new hero arrives, the question is only whether you like playing them, not whether you can afford to. Our editorial view is that this is the single most player-friendly thing about the game's business model.

Lattice versus Units, decoded

Marvel Rivals has two currencies, which is where most confusion starts:

• Lattice (gold) is the premium currency, only bought with real money.
• Units (blue) can be earned free in limited amounts through the Battle Pass, achievements and events, or converted from Lattice at 1:1.

On the UK Xbox Store on 3 November 2026, 100 Lattice cost £0.89, 1,000 cost £8.49, 2,180 cost £16.99, 5,680 cost £42.99 and 11,680 cost £84.99. Xbox's own description says Lattice buys Battle Passes, costumes, sprays and other cosmetic items.

Cosmetics only, according to NetEase

NetEase states that cosmetics provide only visual changes, with no stat bonuses or pay-to-win elements. Costumes, emotes and sprays don't touch damage, health or cooldowns.

Since all heroes are free too, our editorial view is that there's no meaningful way to buy an advantage in a match. Skill, team composition and coordination decide games.

The one area to keep an eye on is how often costumes are tied to limited-time events. That's a shop-pressure issue rather than a pay-to-win one, and it's reflected in our shop score rather than the pay-to-win score. Matchmaking itself doesn't change based on what you own.

A Battle Pass that doesn't run away

The Luxury Battle Pass is bought with Lattice. At launch, NetEase priced it at 490 Lattice and said it contained items worth 8,000 Units; check the in-game price for the current season. There's also a free Battle Pass that every player progresses.

The standout detail: NetEase says once you buy a Luxury Battle Pass, you can keep redeeming its rewards in later seasons if you don't finish it. That removes the usual "finish before the deadline" pressure that makes many passes so grindy, and it's a genuinely player-friendly design choice.

Why the UK rating jumped to PEGI 16

Marvel Rivals now shows PEGI 16 on the UK Xbox Store and PlayStation's UK page, with the descriptors Moderate Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items) and Users Interact. It previously carried PEGI 12.

The change follows PEGI's 2026 rules, under which games with paid random items default to PEGI 16, and PEGI's programme of re-rating existing digital games that contain them. The violence itself is described as moderate; the higher number is about the random-item purchases, not gore.

For parents, that means the age label now reflects the shop as much as the action.

How the Marvel Rivals shop feels day to day

The store rotates costume bundles often, seasonal events add their own rewards, and random-item offers exist alongside direct purchases. Platform stores also sell starter-style bundles: the UK Xbox Store listed a Pick-Up Bundle with a Venom costume, Chrono Tokens and other extras at £2.69.

None of it is needed to play. But between Lattice, Units, Chrono Tokens and event coins, it's a shop that rewards a clear head. PS Plus members can also claim a free cosmetic pack, which Sony notes all players can otherwise buy in-game.

A practical tip: before buying Lattice, check how much the costume you want costs and which Lattice pack covers it with the least left over. Because Lattice also converts into Units at 1:1, leftovers don't go to waste, but they can quietly encourage another purchase to round things up.

Marvel Rivals for teens: what changed with the rating

Until this autumn, Marvel Rivals was often recommended as a 12+ alternative to more violent shooters. The violence hasn't changed; it is still described as moderate. What changed is how PEGI treats paid random items, and Marvel Rivals now carries PEGI 16 on UK console stores as a result.

For families, that's a prompt to look at the shop rather than the gameplay. The game itself is a colourful team shooter where every hero is free; the reason for the higher number is that some purchases involve random outcomes. If a younger teen plays, setting a zero or low spending limit on the console account addresses the specific reason the rating went up.

Voice and text chat with teammates is part of the game, and NetEase publishes chat moderation guidelines on its official site. Console-level communication settings are worth reviewing alongside them.

Online play on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

• PS5: Sony's PS Plus FAQ says most free-to-play games don't require a membership for online play. Sony's Marvel Rivals page lists online play as required but doesn't list PS Plus as a requirement. We didn't find a game-specific official statement, so check the PlayStation Store listing if you want certainty.
• Xbox Series X|S: Microsoft says all Xbox players can access online multiplayer in free-to-play games at no charge.
• PC: no subscription involved.