Highlights
Marvel Rivals showcases Peni Parker in action, piloting the high-tech SP//dr armor in a new gameplay trailer.
The game blends the frantic multiplayer action of games like Overwatch with Marvel heroes and villains in a unique hero-shooter experience.
Peni is a Vanguard character in Marvel Rivals, with abilities that enable players to take more damage and protect teammates during battles.
Marvel Rivals is showing off Peni Parker, pilot of the high-tech SP//dr armor, in a brand-new gameplay trailer ahead of the game’s closed beta test next month. Back in March, NetEase Games and Marvel Games announced Marvel Rivals, an upcoming free-to-play hero shooter that blends the frantic multiplayer action of titles like Overwatch 2 with the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. The game’s roster contains a mix of classic fan favorites and lesser-known Marvel characters as they battle to stop dueling Doctor Doom variants from conquering the multiverse.
One of Marvel Rivals’ 21 confirmed playable characters is Peni Parker, an alternate universe version of Peter Paker/Spider-Man who fights crime in a specialized mech suit known as SP//dr. First appearing in the 2014 crossover event Edge of Spider-Verse, Peni and her trusty robot battle suit gained greater exposure in recent years due to their appearances in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and last year’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Gaming-wise, Peni has been featured as a playable character in mobile titles like Spider-Man Unlimited, Marvel Contest of Champions, and Marvel Snap.
Related Marvel Rivals Confirms When You Can Play on Console, Plus a PS5 Exclusive Skin The May State of Play event reveals that Marvel Rivals is coming to consoles along with a closed beta and special skin for PS5 players.
Now Peni Parker is stepping into the virtual arena of Marvel Rivals, and a new trailer from IGN provides a greater look at her SP//dr mech suit in action. Peni is a Vanguard character, meaning that she will serve in a traditional “Tank” role that can take more damage and protect their teammates. To this end, SP//dr comes equipped with powerful laser cannons and thrusters that allow Peni to slide away from danger. She also has an alternate form that can slash at opponents with spider-leg-like appendages, and it seems to be based on the previously rumored VEN#m Suit from the comics.
Peni Parker Unleashes SP//dr In New Marvel Rivals Trailer
The Marvel Rivals version of Peni Parker might feel familiar to Overwatch players, as she is a spirited young hero piloting a mech just like D.Va. However, the game’s take on Peni is noticeably older than the one from the Spider-Verse films that fans are more familiar with, and it seems she will remain within her SP//dr entirely during Marvel Rivals matches.
Gamers have already gotten to try out some of Peni Parker’s abilities for themselves during the Marvel Rivals alpha test back in May, and they will soon get the chance to take the young Spider-hero’s mech for another spin during the recently announced Marvel Rivals closed beta that will take place in late July. It will be interesting to see how Peni’s Tank-like Vanguard abilities play out in Marvel Rivals, which still doesn’t have an official release date as of this writing.
Marvel Rivals Marvel Rivals is a 6v6 hero-shooter from NetEase that features a roster of classic Marvel characters, iconic maps, and destructible environments.Franchise Marvel Developer(s) NetEase Games Publisher(s) NetEase Games Multiplayer Online Multiplayer , Online Co-Op Engine Unreal Engine Expand