How to get into the Marvel Rivals closed beta

If you fancy playing a bit of Marvel Rivals early, then you’re in luck as there’s currently a closed beta happening for the game right now.

Applying a Marvel theme to your typical 6v6 hero shooter sounds like a dream come true on paper, and for comic fans, it might just well be. Taking up the mantle of heroes such as Iron Man, and Scarlet Witch, and even deeper cuts such as Luna Snow, you’ll have a whole host of heroic abilities to take onto the battlefield as you fight against an equally powerful enemy team.

Access to the Marvel Rivals closed beta test is currently limited, but there are a few ways you can get yourself an access key.

How to sign up for the Marvel Rivals closed beta test

If you’re playing on PC, you can sign up for the Marvel Rivals closed beta test by heading to the game’s Steam page and selecting ‘Request for Access’. This will register your interest, and while access isn’t guaranteed, it at least means you’re in the queue.

You’ll receive an email if you’ve been successfully accepted into the beta, and the game should appear in your Steam library for download.

Those playing on Console will have a harder time accessing the closed beta, as you need to manually fill out a questionnaire distributed in the Marvel Rivals Discord channel. Once you’ve filled it out, you’ll need to wait and see if you’re accepted. If you are, you’ll receive a code to redeem on your platform of choice - either PlayStation or Xbox.

It’s worth noting that if you previously took part in the alpha for Marvel Rivals and reached Level 10 during that period, you’ll automatically be granted access to the closed beta. Double-check your game library and your emails to see if you have the game registered to your account, as you may just need to update it.

How to get a Twitch Drop key for the closed beta test

The alternative way to get access to the Marvel Rivals closed beta is by watching streamers play the game on Twitch.

All you need to do is ensure that you’re logged into a valid Twitch account. Then, watch a streamer that has Twitch Drops enabled play Marvel Rivals for at least 60 minutes. You must make sure that the tab isn’t minimised, but you can mute the stream if you’d rather leave it on in the background for a while.

Once you’ve done this, you should see a notification on your Twitch account with the option to redeem a closed beta test access code on your platform of choice. Choose between PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, and redeem it to get playing.

Twitch Drop access keys are first come first served, so make sure you do this as soon as possible if you’re looking to get access to the beta. This method will also only work from July 25 to 28.

Closed beta test start and end times

The Marvel Rivals closed beta is currently set to run from July 23 until August 5 at 12:00 AM PDT.

That’s a two-week window for you to jump in and see what the game is all about. The game even has daily and weekly challenges live, so there are plenty of objectives to work towards.

Does progress carry over from the closed beta to the full game?

Sadly, any progress that you make in the closed beta test will not carry over to the full game when it releases. Netease explains that the servers for this beta will be shut down and wiped once it’s complete, so you won’t be able to start the full game with a headstart on your progression.

The only item that will carry over is the Moonlit Witch skin for Scarlet Witch. This is a participation reward for taking part in the closed beta test and will be available to you as long as you’re using the same account for the main game and the beta.

What’s included in the Marvel Rivals closed beta test?

Currently, there are 21 heroes for you to play as in the closed beta test, which is more than enough to keep you busy while you learn the intricacies of each of them

There are two main game modes, including a quick play feature that has you escorting or defending a payload as an attacking team tries to move it from one end of the map to the other. There’s also an arena-based mode called Conquest in which teams must try to eliminate as many opponents as possible before time runs out.

As mentioned, there are plenty of challenges to work towards, both daily and weekly, and an ongoing event that gives players a taste of what the seasonal progression might look like.