Marvel Realm of Champions Interview – Release Date, Future Plans & More

Ahead of the Marvel Realm of Champions release, we've managed to play the beta version (read our impressions here) and get a feel for the upcoming game by Kabam. We wanted to dig further into the development and future plans for this new Marvel game and managed to chat with Alberto Braga, Lead Designer, and Scott Bradford, Senior Quest Designer. Read our exclusive Marvel Realm of Champions interview to learn more about the game and why fans of the greatest super hero franchise should be excited about it.

FMMO: Can you introduce yourself to our readers and explain your role in the development of Marvel Realm of Champions?

Alberto Braga: Hi there! I’m Alberto Braga, and I am the Lead Designer of MARVEL Realm of Champions. I lead the team responsible for turning all of Realm’s creative concepts, world and story into game mechanics.

Scott Bradford: Hey, I’m Scott Bradford and I’m a Senior Quest Designer on MARVEL Realm of Champions. I work with our Lead Quest Designer to design Levels and Missions, and with our Creative Director to write and tell stories through that (and other) content.

FMMO: For how long has Marvel Realm of Champions been in development, and how large is the team working on it?

AB: Conceptually, MARVEL Realm of Champions was in development for about three years, as we wanted to tell a new story inspired by the recent Secret Wars event comic, along with a number of fan-favorite MARVEL stories, but with a new twist in characters, setting, and theme. We have a team of passionate marvel fans working on the game.

FMMO: You have experience working with Marvel thanks to Contest of Champions. Was the success of this game the reason to pitch a second title to Marvel, or were you planning on developing more Marvel games all along?

AB: Marvel has been an amazing partner to work with for the last six years since we launched MARVEL Contest of Champions, as we’ve had the amazing opportunity to tell cool stories inspired by the in-game lore, and by what is ongoing in the Marvel universe. The idea for Realm started out as a potential story and setting for Contest, though over time, we found it wasn’t a good fit for the story we want to tell. With that, we put together a pitch focusing on what MARVEL Realm of Champions is, and shared it with Marvel, who absolutely loved the idea and asked us to go forward with making the game.

FMMO: How would you best describe Marvel Realm of Champions to someone who hasn’t heard of it? Is it an arena brawler, a MOBA, or something else entirely?

AB: MARVEL Realm of Champions is an arena brawler with MOBA-like elements. The core concept is on arena and brawler team-based PvP combat, but you can also team up with your friends to fight and defend yourself against enemy Adaptoids, corrupted Champions, and other players across multiple game modes. Where the MOBA influence comes from is the classes assigned to players by their Champion choice and primary weapon, the team dynamics and synergies players can expect as they work together to complete missions, and special skills that deal direct damage, support and heal allies, or buff Champions for incoming attacks.

FMMO: There seems to be a focus on hero customization in Marvel Realm of Champions. Would you say that this is the standout feature in this game? How crucial is this to the way that the game plays?

AB: Customization is the standout feature in MARVEL Realm of Champions, as we are the only MARVEL game to offer this level of in-depth character customization. In addition to switching out gear sets that offer different stats, players will have access to many different designs and colors for each individual gear piece so that they can define and create their very own Super Hero. Another major differentiator of our customization system is the weapons, as they can completely change which role and special abilities your character will use in battle. For example, with Storm, she has a Frost Wand weapon that specializes in Support by slowing down and freezing opponents, while the Lighting Staff weapon will allow her to fit as a Damage dealer instead.

FMMO: There are six Champions to choose from at launch, with more planned for future updates. At what rate can we expect new Champions, and can you let us in on some upcoming names?

AB: At launch, a new Playable Champion will be ready for players to collect, gear up, and send out to Battleworld! We can't reveal specifics, but we guarantee fans will be excited once it launches.

SB: From the recent Council of Shawarma cinematic, we showed the first look at some new Barons, including Logan of the Clan of Wolverine, Deadpool Supreme, Vision Prime, and Groot. While we can’t specify as to when Champions will be added, there is more to come as we move into 2021 and release new updates.

FMMO: Marvel Realm of Champions seems suited for quick and short gameplay sessions. Because of this, do you think that all the lore detailing the houses is going to be overlooked by gamers?

AB: We don’t think so. For the story, we aimed to introduce players slowly, as if they are entering Battleworld for the first time, and acclimate them to the world and lore as they play. Players will get a sense of how each House acts and what their goals are over time, and build up their Champions. We are also in the Iron Age, our first act, and we have a year's worth of stories in the works, including exploring the mystery surrounding the death of the Maestro.

FMMO: Have you ever given any thought to developing a PC or console version, or was Marvel Realm of Champions a mobile-only game from the very start?

AB: At this time, MARVEL Realm of Champions is a mobile-only game, as we designed the game to easily be played and experienced on mobile platforms. We have heard your suggestions on console ports for Realm. All we can say is that nothing is beyond the realm of possibility!

FMMO: Given the competitive edge of Marvel Realm of Champions, would you say that it is more suited to hardcore players, or casual players can also find their place in the Battleworld?

AB: MARVEL Realm of Champions is good for players of all types. Fans can really get invested in customization by collecting and adjusting gear so they can create their very own Marvel Champions. There is also a lot of depth with how players can customize Champions for specific builds/roles, and how they can synergize with other players for a deeper gameplay experience, both in PvE and PvP. Of course, hardcore competitive players are more than welcome to test their skills and showcase their builds with direct PvP combat!

FMMO: Can you give us an estimated release date or a reasonable launch timeframe?

AB: MARVEL Realm of Champions will launch on December 16, 2020!

We would like to thank Alberto Braga and Scott Bradford from Kabam for taking their time to answer our questions. As we have just found out, the Marvel Realm of Champions release date is December 16, 2020, and you can download the game from the Play Store and App Store when it launches.