NetEase Games’Marvel Rivalsand Epic Games’Fortnitemay seem like totally different games at first glance, but the titles share more similarities than players may expect. For one, bothMarvel RivalsandFortniteare highly popular multiplayer games designed with a cartoon-like style as opposed to other realistic-looking multiplayer games such asBattlefield. Both games additionally incorporate skins and other cosmetics from popular films and TV shows, likeMarvel RivalsandFortnite’s recent introduction of cosmetics based on Marvel Studios’The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Based on these two games’ tie-ins with the highly anticipatedFantastic Four: First Steps, it’s practically guaranteed thatMarvel RivalsandFortnitewill release similar tie-ins for other upcoming Marvel films, especiallyAvengers: Doomsday.
Marvel Rivals and Fortnite’s Fantastic Four Features Explained
In late July 2025, Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures releasedThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsinto theaters worldwide. The 37th film in the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe,Fantastic Four: First Stepsis the first MCU entry of Phase Six and is the first MCU film entirely dedicated to Marvel’s first family after John Krasinski’s Reed Richards briefly appeared in 2022’sDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Despite prior 20th Century FoxFantastic Fourfilms releasing to mixed reviews and financial success,Fantastic Four: First Stepsis highly anticipated among Marvel and general comic fans due to it being the MCU’s first true attempt at adapting the team and its seeming accuracy to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s original 1960s comics.
To coincide with the film amid fan anticipation,Marvel RivalsandFortniteboth released cosmetic tie-ins toThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. InMarvel Rivals, players can purchase four skins starting on July 24 at 7 pm Pacific Daylight Time inspired byMister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Thing, and Human Torch’s appearance in the film.
Each new skin will additionally come with aFantastic Four: First Steps-inspired Spray, MVP, Emote, and Nameplate, but none of these cosmetics will impactMarvel Rivals’ gameplay. Starting on July 25 at 8 pm Eastern Standard Time,Fortniteplayers can unlockFantastic Four: First Stepsskinsand pickaxes by being among the top points-earning squads in the Fantastic Four Cup, a Battle Royale Squads Cup.Fortniteplayers can additionally unlockFantastic Foursprays and emotes by surviving 120 minutes in the cup.
Marvel Rivals and Fornite’s Potential Future MCU Crossovers
BothMarvel RivalsandFortnitehave featured cosmetics from newly released MCU content before, such asMarvel Rivalscreating a skin of the Punisherbased on his appearance in Disney+’sDaredevil: Born AgainandFortnitecreating a skin of Moon Knight based on his look in Disney+‘sMoon Knight. Based on this precedent and both games’ tie-ins withFantastic Four: First Steps, it’s highly likely NetEase and Epic Games will make more content based on upcoming MCU films and shows. For example, both games will probably release a new skin based on Spider-Man’s new suit in 2026’sSpider-Man: Brand New Day, which was briefly shown at the end ofSpider-Man: No Way Home.
Marvel RivalsandFortnitewill likely release zombified skins of several characters once Disney+’sMarvel Zombiesminiseries debuts in late 2025 as well. However, both games will probably go all-in on cosmetics based on 2026’sAvengers: Doomsday, the firstAvengersmovie since 2019’s record-breakingAvengers: Endgame. WithEndgamebeing the second highest-grossing film of all time, Netease and Epic Games likely expectDoomsdayto do similarly well at the box office and will attempt to profit from that theatrical attendance by making cosmetics based on characters’ appearances inDoomsday. It’s currently unknown what the Avengers or villains inDoomsdaywill look like, but it’s practically guaranteed bothMarvel RivalsandFortnitewill heavily incorporateRobert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doomin various ways.
