Image: NetEase
Marvel fans might be a little confused at Marvel Rivals' interpretation of Psylocke, however, as it's based on a niche version of the character.
NetEase Games’ comicbook-inspired hero shooter Marvel Rivals has unveiled gameplay for its newest playable hero: Psylocke, a skilled martial artist and member of the X-Men. Psylocke will be a Duelist assassin-type character, best used at close range to pick off Support characters or put pressure on the enemy backline.
New gameplay footage for Psylocke offers a closer look at her abilities, courtesy of IGN:
Marvel Rivals unveils new gameplay footage for Psylocke
NetEase Games and IGN have shown off new gameplay for Psylocke, a newly-revealed hero coming to the game’s roster at launch. Longtime Marvel Comics fans might be a little confused at this game’s interpretation of her however, as it specifically pulls from a comic book called Demon Days: X-Men by Peach Momoko. This version of Psylocke is named Sai instead of Betsy Braddock, and is a wandering warrior in feudal Japan hunting down demons and monsters.
Within the context of Marvel Rivals, Psylocke has been ripped from her own reality thanks to the Timestream Entanglement only to be put on display by the Collector. Upon finding new allies, she escapes her prison and sets off to end the ongoing multiversal conflict and return home. You know - the one involving two Doctor Dooms?
Psylocke will be a Duelist character in Marvel Rivals, which means that her playstyle revolves around high mobility and short-range damage. Her primary and secondary fire abilities have her toss out shuriken that inflict more damage the closer she is to an enemy. She also has a dash ability called Psi-Blade Dash which functions much like Genji’s Swift Strike in Overwatch 2, allowing her to quickly dash forward and damage enemies in her path.
Psylocke can also turn invisible using the Psychic Stealth ability, allowing her to either escape an encounter or creep into enemy ranks for a surprise attack. Her Ultimate Ability is called Dance of the Butterfly, which has her automatically target enemies and dash towards them for a series of powerful blade attacks.
Psylocke will join the roster of Marvel Rivals when it launches on December 6, 2024.