Honestly, if you've been playing Marvel Rivals since launch, you know the roster is already getting crowded. But the dataminers? They never sleep. NetEase has been surprisingly leaky—or maybe they just like the hype—because we’ve seen a massive trail of breadcrumbs in the game files that points toward a future roster much bigger than the current 40-ish heroes.
It's not just "maybe they'll add this guy." It's full ability strings, character IDs, and translated flavor text. People keep asking about "all Marvel Rivals leaked characters" like it's a static list. It isn't. It's a moving target. Some characters that were leaked a year ago, like Angela or Psylocke, are already in the game. Others, like the much-anticipated Professor X, feel like they've been sitting in "development hell" for ages.
The Big X-Men Wave
Mutants are basically the backbone of the leak community right now. While we just got Rogue and Gambit (finally!), the files are still screaming about more.
Professor X is the one everyone is staring at. He’s listed as a Strategist. That makes sense. You can’t really have Charles Xavier doing backflips as a Duelist. His leaked abilities include things like Mind Projection and Potential Stimulation. Basically, he’s going to be the ultimate backline puppet master, probably shielding allies and messing with enemy controls.
Then there’s Cyclops.
Kinda weird he wasn’t in at launch, right?
The leaks show a very specific kit for Scott Summers:
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- Snapshot Blast (likely his primary fire)
- Optic Stream (a channeled beam)
- Visor Off (the big Ultimate where he just melts everything in front of him)
We’ve also seen references to Colossus as a Vanguard and Nightcrawler as a Strategist or Duelist. The Nightcrawler stuff is interesting because his "BAMF" smoke is rumored to have a healing or redirecting mechanic for teammates, which would be a wild twist on the usual teleporter archetype.
The Weird and the Wonderful: From MODOK to The Hood
You can't have a Marvel game without the B-list weirdos. This is where the datamines get really fun.
The Hood (Parker Robbins) has been appearing in strings for a while. He’s expected to be a Duelist. If they stick to the comics, expect a mix of dual pistols and demonic magic. He’s the kind of "supernatural" pick that fits perfectly alongside characters like Blade (who, let's be real, was the worst-kept secret in the game before his official drop).
And then there's MODOK.
Yes, the giant head.
How do you even do a hitbox for him?
Leaks suggest he’s being tested as a Vanguard or a very tanky Strategist. There’s a lot of chatter about him having a passive that reduces headshot damage—because, well, he’s almost only a head. If NetEase pulls off a flying, hovering tank with a giant hitbox that doesn't feel like a "free kill," it'll be a miracle of balancing.
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The 2026 Roadmap: Who's Next?
Looking at the current game state in January 2026, we’re seeing a shift. The "Romance" theme of Season 5 brought us the power couples, but Season 6 and beyond are looking more... cosmic? Or maybe street-level?
Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) is the white whale of leaks. She’s been in the files since the Closed Alpha. It’s almost a running joke in the community now. "Where’s Carol?" She’s expected to be a Vanguard, a flying "brick" character who can soak up damage and dish out energy blasts.
Black Cat and White Fox are the newer names popping up in the Season 6/7 transition data. Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) is likely a high-mobility Duelist, probably a direct rival to Spider-Man’s playstyle but with more of a "hit and run" focus.
The Leaked "Unconfirmed" Shortlist
If you're looking for the raw list of names that have appeared in the code but haven't hit the live servers yet, here’s the current "active" list based on the most recent 2025/2026 datamines:
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- Invisible Woman (Sue Storm) - Heavily rumored as a Strategist with shield-stacking.
- Human Torch (Johnny Storm) - A high-skill Duelist with "overheat" mechanics.
- Ultron - A Strategist focused on drone summoning and area denial.
- Ghost Rider - The spirit of vengeance himself, likely a Vanguard or Duelist.
- Hit-Monkey - Because why not? He’s been in the files for over a year.
- Jia Jing - A more obscure mutant pick that leakers originally thought might be someone else.
What Most People Get Wrong About Leaks
A lot of people see a name in a datamine and assume that character is "coming next month." That’s just not how game dev works.
Miller Ross and other prominent leakers have pointed out that some of these characters, like Iron Fist (Lin Lie) or Squirrel Girl, had files created way back in early 2024. Some get fast-tracked because of a movie release or a seasonal theme. Others get shelved because their kit feels too much like someone already on the roster.
Take Deadpool, for example. He was "leaked" forever, but his role kept shifting in the files. At one point, he was a Duelist; then he was a Vanguard. Now, there's talk of him being a "Flex" role that can swap mid-match. Leaks give us the "who," but they rarely give us the "when" or the "how" accurately until the character is weeks away from launch.
Actionable Insights for Players
If you’re trying to stay ahead of the meta or just want to know who to save your units/credits for, keep an eye on the Team-Up abilities. NetEase usually releases characters that synergize with existing ones.
- Watch the lore: If a new map like Krakoa or the Savage Lands drops, expect the leaked Mutants (like Cyclops or Beast) to follow shortly.
- Don't over-invest in one role: The leaked roster is heavily weighted toward Duelists. If you're a Vanguard main, you might be waiting a while between drops.
- Check the "Voice Line" leaks: These are often more accurate than model leaks. If Spider-Man has new recorded lines talking to "a guy in a bathrobe," you can bet The Hood or Professor X is around the corner.
The best way to track this is to follow the dedicated datamining Discord servers or subreddits. Just remember: until you see the gameplay trailer, everything is subject to change. NetEase has been known to swap character kits at the last second to keep the meta from getting stale.