Marvel Rivals' upcoming Season 2 will introduce an experimental feature designed to enhance game stability and optimize memory usage. Continue reading to understand how this functionality works and what other events and updates are coming to the game.
Marvel Rivals Upcoming Features and Events
Switch Shader Compilation Mode
NetEase is implementing an experimental feature to boost Marvel Rivals' stability and reduce memory demands. In a April 30 Twitter (X) announcement, the developers revealed the upcoming Switch Shader Compilation Mode, designed to enhance player experience - particularly for those with limited RAM capacity or FPS concerns.
The game's official website published an accompanying blog post detailing this experimental feature. According to the developers, Marvel Rivals recognizes player concerns regarding performance stutters and crashes caused by excessive memory consumption during gameplay.
"To address memory overload, we're introducing an experimental feature in Season 2: the Switch Shader Compilation Mode. Following the Season 2 update, players can activate this option through the PC launcher," explained the blog. This feature is particularly recommended for players with 16GB RAM or less.
When enabled, the feature delivers these improvements:
- The shader compilation process only activates when launching the game after a new version or graphics driver update
- Significantly reduced game memory usage, minimizing severe FPS drops, frozen visuals, and memory-related crashes
The developers have identified some potential issues with this feature, including temporary abnormal material rendering during match starts (which normalizes shortly after) and occasional stuttering that stabilizes during gameplay.
Marvel Rivals Season 2 Twitch Drops
Marvel Rivals launches Season 2 with a Twitch Drops campaign running from April 11 at 12:00 UTC through April 30 at 23:59 UTC. To earn rewards, players must link their Marvel Rivals and Twitch accounts, then watch eligible streams with Drops enabled.
Rewards scale with viewing time and include:
Marvel Rivals Season 2 Launch Announcement
The latest Dev Vision showcased Marvel Rivals' Season 2 Hellfire Gala content and outlined plans for more frequent updates, including monthly hero additions.
Marvel Rivals will undergo scheduled maintenance in preparation for Season 2, beginning April 11 at 9:00 UTC with an expected duration of 2-3 hours.
This update introduces Emma Frost as a playable character, complete with her X-Revolution and Blue Sapphire skins. The patch also adds a new Domination map (Hellfire Gala: Krakoa) and a battle pass featuring 10 new heroic costumes.
Marvel Rivals is currently available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For the latest game updates, check out our additional coverage below.