After weeks of speculation for a Loki-looking skin Marvel Rivals roadmap NetEase pulled back the curtain and confirmed that the Lady Loki player had been requesting for months was finally on its way. While there was initially some concern that it would simply be a Loki cosplay for Hela, fans breathed a sigh of relief when it was revealed that it would indeed be a Loki skin. Alongside a feminine outfit, a different body and longer hair, the lady Loki skin also boasts a completely different voice, with Abby Trott (Magik's cast) portraying the gender-bending trickster. Marvel Rivals went over with its Lady Loki skin, and of course players are expecting it to be the first of many.
Marvel RivalsThe Lady Loki skin also surprised players with its price tag. Given the extra work that went into recording all the voice lines, players expected it to cost more, but it instead costs the standard 2,400 units (2,700 with the Lady Loki emote pack). It will be on offer between January 2nd and January 29th.
While NetEase has really knocked it out of the park with Lady Loki, and there is likely interest in similar cosmetics, players shouldn't expect to start seeing a store full of skins like this anytime soon. There are some important reasons for this, so while Lady Loki is sure to be a blockbuster that inspires similar cosmetics here and there, Marvel Rivals will likely be very selective with “echo fighter” style cosmetics. For anyone hoping for more massive makeovers like this one for Loki, out tomorrow, here's why you should temper your expectations a bit.
Why Marvel Rivals Lady Loki Skin Will Likely Stand Alone For Some Time
First and foremost is the fact that adding a skin like Lady Loki is no easy task. Unlike throwing a voice changer on a hero, altering the model to make them look like a wolf, or giving them a costume change, Lady Loki required NetEase to have another actor record all of the hero's voice lines. Team-ups, battle chats and so on have already been confirmed to be present, and it remains to be seen if pre-match conversations have also been changed. Regardless, it's clear that NetEase wants to go above and beyond with anything resembling one Injustice 2 Premiere skins and revisiting all that dialogue will no doubt take time.
Of course, players who hope or expect that the store will be flooded with female versions of any male Marvel Rivals characters, or vice versa, shouldn't get their hopes up. Not only will it take time for skins like this, but NetEase will surely be watching Lady Loki sales closely to see if similar cosmetics are even worth pursuing. Sure, the gender-swapped Loki has people talking, but if it doesn't actually sell, similar cosmetics that completely transform the hero roster wouldn't be worth the extra time and resources.
Reason 2: Too many skins like Lady Loki could create big missed opportunities
Even if Lady Loki proves profitable and players start seeing her in every lobby for the foreseeable future, NetEase probably won't go overboard with similar skins. Sure, it will start making more of them, but it won't want to limit its potential for brand new heroes. With a character that comes to Marvel Rivals each month NetEase must leave room for the list to continue to grow. Lady Loki works because she is still Loki, with the god of mischief simply changing form as he so often does. She has all the same abilities, the same fighting style, and most importantly, the same attitude.
This is why NetEase can't just add every female version of a Marvel hero and call it a day. Take Spider-Gwen, for example. Not only does the punk rock version of Gwen have a very different attitude from Peter, but her fighting style is also distinct, with ballet-like movements and a focus on kicks. Kate Bishop is a similar case, as her personality differs greatly from Clint Barton, not to mention her greater athleticism and fencing skills. Just having Kate say Clint's lines and play just like him wouldn't feel right. Jane Foster Thor is yet another example, as players would lose out on her distinct attitude and her unique handling of Mjolnir. And why make Clea a Doctor Strange clone when she could have a whole new arsenal of spells to play with? She-Hulk, Polaris, X-23, Ironheart — the list goes on.
The same logic applies to non-gender-bending skins as well; why give Venom a Carnage skin when Carnage could be his own hero, with distinct dialogue and abilities (like making weapons from the Symbiote)?
Marvel Rivals still has room to add more skins like Lady Loki
While it's true that NetEase has to be selective with its choices of gender swap skins so as not to deprive players of potentially fun heroes, it still has several options available. Some of the best include:
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Lady Deadpool
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She-Venom
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Captain Carter
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Rachel Cole (Punisher)
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Gwenpool
Sure, NetEase could start randomly picking gender-swapped characters from Earth-TRN454, where all characters are gendered, if it wants to make skins like Lady Loki a staple in the game. Before it gets there though, the above options are all ones that would be better to follow, as they are significant characters and are more likely to feel like natural additions because of it. While all signs point to Lady Loki being a success, it's up to NetEase to decide. If so, similar cosmetics can be expected eventually – but players shouldn't expect them to come out quickly, nor should they expect characters that act as stand-alone heroes to be wasted on skins. NetEase has already said that characters like Miles Morales, War Machine and Sam Wilson would be their own heroes and not skins, and the same logic applies to feminine spins on existing Marvel Rivals sign.
- Released
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December 6, 2024
- ESRB
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T for Teens // Violence
- Developer
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NetEase Games
- Publisher
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NetEase Games
