NetEase upgrades Storm’s Marvel Rivals skin after player backlash
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
NetEase upgraded Storm’s Sacred Skies summer outfit in Marvel Rivals from Epic to Legendary after players criticised its lower tier compared with the newly released beach-themed skins for Magik and Scarlet Witch. The reversal matters because fans saw the original classification as further evidence that Storm receives less premium content than other female characters.
The upgrade will be free and the skin will remain priced at $16, while gaining a new lobby animation, an updated MVP animation and enhanced visual effects for Storm’s ultimate ability. NetEase responded around 12 hours after the backlash and said more Legendary Storm costumes are planned, although it gave no dates; Storm had one Legendary outfit at the time, compared with six for Magik and five for Scarlet Witch.
- Storm’s skin was upgraded after player criticism.
- Its $16 price remains unchanged.
- NetEase promised more Legendary Storm outfits.
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Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play team-based action game featuring characters from Marvel comics, including the X-Men’s Storm, Magik and Scarlet Witch. Players can buy optional cosmetic outfits, known as skins, which change a character’s appearance and can include animations or visual effects.
The game groups skins into different rarity levels, such as Epic and Legendary. Legendary outfits generally include more added features and are often treated by players as higher-value items, making the category important when comparing what different characters receive.
NetEase Games is the developer and publisher behind Marvel Rivals. The discussion around Storm’s outfit reflects wider player attention to how cosmetic content and character representation are distributed across the game’s roster.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the upgrade argue that cosmetic pricing should be matched by comparable quality, especially when characters in the same themed release receive different rarity labels and features. They see the quick response as a constructive acknowledgement that Storm players deserved parity in animations and effects without being asked to pay more, and as a signal that developers should listen when apparent disparities emerge.
The case against
Others may argue that rarity tiers and cosmetic features are legitimate creative and production decisions, rather than an entitlement to identical treatment across every character. From this view, rapidly revising a finished product in response to online criticism risks encouraging comparisons based on skin-count tallies rather than artistic fit, development constraints or the developer’s wider release plans.
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Originally published by Polygon as “Marvel Rivals Fans Get Furious Over Storm Skin, Developer Responds”.