Skip to main content

Marvel Snap is Hearthstone for superheroes

Just when you thought the multiverse couldn’t get any larger, Marvel is extending into the world of digital card games. The company announced its new mobile game venture, Marvel Snap, a collectible card game coming to mobile and PC by former Hearthstone developers.

MARVEL SNAP | Official Announcement & Gameplay First Look

As shown in its reveal trailer, Marvel Snap takes the many universes of Marvel and brings them together for Yu-Gi-Oh-style card battles. The game’s chief production officer, Yong Woo, describes the game as, “a card game that strips away everything that gets in the way of fun and gets everybody straight into the strategic action.”

Marvel Snap trailer shot of Miles Morales, America Chaves, Iron Heart, Venom, and Black Panther in a mech.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s clear that the game is chasing the mainstream audience that Marvel Studios captured with the Marvel Cinematic Universe by making Marvel Snap as open as possible while retaining the hallmarks of the card battler genre. This is partly accomplished by making the game faster than other collectible card games on the market.

Recommended Videos

Both players take their turns at the same time, removing all waiting from the experience. This allows both players to make their decisions simultaneously and results in a game where matches take half the time of a standard card game.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The card game also supports online play with standard ranked and player-matched modes. The game will feature voice acting, as well as tons of art from decades of Marvel Comics. For Marvel fans, it’s looking like a fun celebration of the comic company’s long superhero history.

Marvel Snap has no set release date just yet, but fans can sign up for its beta on the official website.

DeAngelo Epps
Former Digital Trends Contributor
De'Angelo Epps is a gaming writer passionate about the culture, communities, and industry surrounding gaming. His work ranges…
Marvel Rivals tips and tricks: how to be the best superhero you can be
A lot of heroes fight in Marvel Rivals

We've seen plenty of cross-platform games come and go, but Marvel Rivals has a secret up its sleeve that none of those other games did: superheroes. Featuring the most powerful heroes and dastardly villains from across all Marvel franchises, this hero shooter appeals to a huge audience that other games simply can't, free or not. That would only go far enough to get people interested, but it's because the game itself is so fun that so many are sticking around. That makes competition high, even in the early days. You can't expect to become a superhero overnight, but our tips and tricks will help you feel like your superpowered counterpart in no time.
Practice against bots to learn your hero

Jumping into a Quick Match or other competitive game mode in Marvel Rivals as soon as you boot it up is just asking for trouble. Even playing the tutorial first will only give you a taste of how a few characters work, which is hardly sufficient for a game with such a big roster and so much complexity. Instead, start out by going into a Custom Game and filling a game with AI bots. You can set your bots to easy, normal, or hard so start out on easy first and work your way up since the hard level is actually quite a challenge.

Read more
Marvel Rivals preload guide: release date, file size, and more
Heroes and villains in Marvel Rivals posing menacingly.

One of the last upcoming games of 2024 is a big one: Marvel Rivals is the latest cross-platform hero shooter to attempt to steal Overwatch 2's crown. While we're all excited to take control of the greatest Marvel heroes and villains, the game isn't quite out yet. Being a free game, there's no need to preorder, but that also makes it a little tricky to know if or how to preload it so you can get a head start on the competition. We've unmasked all the details about when you can play Marvel Rivals, your preload options, and more.
Marvel Rivals release date

Marvel Rivals will launch on December 5 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. You can check the official global times above for more time zones.
Marvel Rivals file size
We don't know exactly how big Marvel Rivals will be on consoles just yet, but it will be about 70GB on PC according to the game's Steam page. You should estimate around that same amount on your PS5 or Xbox Series X and make sure you have space cleared.
Marvel Rivals preload options

Read more
I didn’t understand the magic of arcades until I visited one in Japan
Photo of arcade machines in Japan.

It took me visiting a Taito Station arcade in Japan to truly understand what makes arcades special.

I’ve always been infatuated with arcade-inspired games. I enjoy revisiting those classics and love learning about their history and importance to the game industry. By the time I was old enough to feel all that, though, arcades had died out in North America. I’m most familiar with arcades as part of larger establishments like Dave & Buster's or bowling alleys rather than standalone entities. While I frequented Galloping Ghost Arcade when I lived in Chicago, that arcade put all of its games into free play and was more focused on preservation. That changed during my visit to Japan.

Read more