Expanding Your Roster: How to Unlock New Heroes in Marvel Rivals

Updated: 4th June 2025 4 min read

Marvel Rivals throws players into thrilling team battles with a wide array of iconic characters right from the start. While many familiar faces are available for immediate play, the game also features a system for unlocking additional heroes, particularly those designated as rare or newly introduced.

Expanding your roster requires engaging with the game’s economy and progression systems. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to unlock heroes and access the full breadth of Marvel’s might.

Are All Heroes Free From the Start?

At launch, Marvel Rivals makes a significant portion of its hero lineup available to all players without needing to unlock them immediately. This allows newcomers and veterans alike to experiment with different roles—Vanguard, Duelist, Strategist—and find heroes that match their preferred playstyle. However, the roster isn’t entirely free. Certain rare or premium heroes are locked behind specific progression paths or require the use of in-game resources to acquire.

The Gateway Currency: Units

The primary currency you’ll use on your quest to unlock new heroes is called Units. Units are central to acquiring rare content within Marvel Rivals, including some hero unlocks. Earning Units is possible through consistent gameplay and engagement with the game’s various features:

  • Daily Missions: Completing these short, specific tasks provides a reliable source of small Unit rewards daily.
  • In-Game Milestones: Achieving certain performance goals during matches, such as reaching kill streaks, winning games, or hitting team performance benchmarks, often grants Unit bonuses.
  • Battle Pass Progression: Both the free and premium tiers of the seasonal Battle Pass offer Units as rewards as you level it up by playing.
  • Special Events: Limited-time events, like the “Entangled Moments” mentioned previously, are frequently excellent opportunities to farm significant amounts of Units.
  • Cosmetic Progression: Surprisingly, some achievements tied to cosmetic unlocks or hero mastery can also provide bonus Units.

Methods for Unlocking Heroes

Once you’ve accumulated Units, or by engaging with other game systems, several methods become available for unlocking new heroes:

  • Direct Purchase:Occasionally, rare heroes might be available for direct purchase using your accumulated Units in the in-game store. This is the most straightforward way if a hero is featured this way.
  • Hero Bundles & True Draw: Some heroes, especially newer or rarer ones, might not be available for direct purchase alone but are instead featured in hero bundles that include skins or emotes. These bundles are often acquired through the “True Draw” system. The True Draw is a luck-based mechanic where you spend Units for a chance to receive rare hero bundles or even direct unlock tokens for highly sought-after characters.
  • Battle Pass Rewards: Seasonal Battle Passes can sometimes feature a new or exclusive hero as a guaranteed reward at a specific tier, requiring players to play and progress through the pass during that season.
  • Event Rewards: Participating actively in special limited-time events may offer opportunities to unlock temporary or even permanent access to heroes tied to the event’s theme or objectives.

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Hero Proficiency System: Mastery, Not Unlocks

It’s worth noting the Hero Proficiency System. While this system is crucial for dedicated players, it focuses on rewarding your commitment to heroes you already own. By playing a specific hero and completing character-specific missions or reaching mastery levels with them, you can earn exclusive cosmetics and rewards for that hero. This system provides a deep progression path but does not unlock new characters.

A Word of Caution on Third-Party Boosting

For players eager to unlock heroes quickly, some third-party services offer account boosting or the sale of accounts with rare heroes already unlocked. While these services claim to save time, it is important to exercise extreme caution. Engaging with such services carries significant risks, including compromising your account security and potentially violating the game’s terms of service, which could lead to penalties, including account bans.

Quick Steps to Check and Unlock

To keep track of which heroes you have and how to get new ones:

  1. Launch Marvel Rivals and head to the Heroes tab from the main menu. Here, you’ll see your full roster and which characters are currently locked.
  2. Browse the in-game Store and Events tabs regularly. These sections highlight currently available heroes, bundles, and events offering unlock opportunities.
  3. Focus on completing Daily Missions, seasonal Battle Pass tiers, and in-game Milestones to steadily earn Units.
  4. Use your earned Units in the store for direct purchases or participate in the True Draw system for chances at rare heroes and bundles.

Summary: Building Your Roster Through Engagement

Most heroes in Marvel Rivals are accessible from the start, allowing players to immediately jump into the action. However, expanding your collection to include rare or newly added characters requires engaging with the game’s progression systems.

By consistently earning Units through daily activities, Battle Pass progression, and events, players can utilize these resources in the store or through the True Draw system to unlock a wider array of heroes. Coupled with participating in special events, regular play and smart resource management are the keys to steadily growing your roster and experiencing everything Marvel Rivals’ diverse lineup has to offer.

Written by:

Christian