Just one more event with plenty of trailers and Geoff Keighley pushing us to cry. Hold on a minute! The creators of Marvel Rivals, the popular hero shooter which is currently free-to-play, have just released a sneak peek that has everyone in the community talking, and when I say talking, I mean they are literally on the ground rolling with laughter.
Marvel Rivals’ official Twitter account tweeted with an adorable illustration accompanying it. The picture depicts several of the game’s characters in a cinema, each with a tub of popcorn, waiting for the performance to start. And what about the text underneath? ‘We are getting the snacks ready for #TheGameAwards tomorrow. Jeff has a front-row seat … something epic is about to be ignited!’
First and foremost, the question arises, who is Jeff? If you are not completely following the game, let me tell you that Jeff is the tiny Landshark character. He is virtually the game’s unofficial mascot, a humorous little being whom everyone loves. The fact that he is given a front-row seat in this image is the first clue. Player KUKU said: ‘Front-row Jeff energy… we know something wild is about to go down.’ Right. When the mascot gets VIP treatment, be sure the developers have something good planned.
But the real fun is when you zoom in on the picture. The community did what it usually does best: turned into detectives. The theories are racing with Iron Man in speed.
New characters are spotted by players instantly. Everyone is going nuts over the green arm that is on the right-hand side of the frame. Is it the Hulk? Somebody else? The talking is lively. Player SpicyFetus even asked directly: ‘How is it that you are sitting in front of blade and next to Jeff? The green arm on the right.’ You see, every little detail matters.
Next, the whole situation with Blade comes up. The vampire slayer can be seen in the image but he is…again sleeping. This has turned into a joke amongst the community. ‘Blade bitchass fell asleep again,’ tweeted Deimxs while SamiraCGS commented, ‘At this point Blade might be narcoleptic.’ The developers have unintentionally become part of a funny little in-joke that they have created.
And the main issue for discussion? It’s all about who might be the next to be revealed. The responses are a[list] to the heavens. ‘Please add cyclops we need this,’ implored BatboyGTX. ‘Deadpool tease would be crazy ngl…’ proposed RuggedBull. Someone is requesting Elsa Bloodstone. Another one, reychua8, even had a whole fanfic-ready theory: ‘If jeff in front seat.. it will be special perso ..so that I conclude that it will be elsa bloodstone and deadpool who adopted him.’ I mean, why not?
There’s even some intensity behind the scenes! Mason asked, ‘Are we gonna talk about Remy and Rogue kissing in the background,’ which ignited a whole discussion about Rogue’s abilities and if she can even touch anyone. Classic comic book fan stuff, love to see it.
And then there are the realists. Cookie very plainly said, ‘We’re still not winning GOTY.’ True, probably not, but that’s not what this is about! The hype is what it is all about. The fact is Marvel Rivals is obviously making plans for a major blow at the event. A new character unveiling seems like a sure thing. Perhaps two? Perhaps a new map? A release date for the full launch? The ‘something epic’ mentioned could be anything.
This blend of hype and community interaction that is so amazing, makes it so cool. The developers are not just putting out a boring press release. They are making a small work of art, filling it up with Easter eggs and in-jokes, and allowing the players to have fun trying to decode it. It’s smart. It’s fun. It gets people talking.
So what does all this mean for tonight? Simple. If you have even a tiny bit of interest in Marvel Rivals, you have to watch The Game Awards. Jeff got the best seat in the house for a good reason. That little Landshark is not there just for the free popcorn. He is there because something big is going to happen for Marvel Rivals, and the whole community is going to pop when it does. You better get your own snacks ready because this is one trailer you will not want to miss. The ignition sequence has begun, and the countdown to the great reveal is officially on. For players on PlayStation and Xbox, the anticipation is just as high.
