Marvel Rivals Reveals New Winter Soldier Costume & Release Date To Celebrate Thunderbolts* Premiere

Marvel Rivals has officially revealed a Winter Soldier costume based on the new Thunderbolts* film, the latest in a sequence of tie-ins with other major Marvel media. As a hero shooter based on the rich comic book universe, Marvel Rivals has had no shortage of opportunities for fun crossovers. With the Winter Soldier getting his biggest role in a while thanks to the new film Thunderbolts*, it’s no surprise that he’s also getting special treatment in-game.

A new trailer available on the Marvel Rivals YouTube channel showcases the Thunderbolts* Winter Soldier skin and confirms its release on May 1 at 7 PM PT/ May 2 at 2 UTC. The skin highlights Bucky’s more monochromatic outfit in the film and tweaks his hair and face to resemble MCU actor Sebastian Stan in the role. In celebration of the film’s premiere, the Winter Soldier’s new in-game look arrives just ahead of the Hellfire Gala: Moments event, which starts on May 2.

Marvel Rivals Highlights Bucky’s Thunderbolts* Look

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Within the high-stakes world of the MCU, Thunderbolts* highlights a relatively grounded (and dysfunctional) group of antiheroes, and the in-game skin reflects the less fantastical approach to the film’s costumes. Equipped with the darker prosthetic arm of recent MCU projects and a relatively low-profile tactical outfit, The Winter Soldier looks quite a bit like his Thunderbolts* counterpart in the new Marvel Rivals costume.

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The skin should be available through the store tab in-game. Unlike a previous Captain America: Brave New World tie-in, no theatrical promotion has been announced for the new Winter Soldier look, so nabbing a ticket for the film won’t provide much help. As for the Hellfire Gala event on the following day, completing missions will provide a free Wolverine – Patch costume, so there’s still something to get for free this week.

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Marvel Rivals Winter Soldier Skin Thunderbolts

While the grounded visual style of Thunderbolts* has some precedent in other MCU films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it’s neat to see some subtler options make their way into Marvel Rivals. The maximalism of the game can be a lot of fun, but it also makes anything that isn’t quite as over-the-top stand out in a good way.

After a string of inconsistent MCU releases, Thunderbolts* is also getting some nice buzz, so the tie-in could be a pleasant boost on both ends of the equation. Marvel Rivals has done a lot to re-energize long-time Marvel fans and bring in some new ones, and I’d love it if Thunderbolts* ends up feeling comparably refreshing. Either way, I can’t complain about seeing Bucky rock a new look in Marvel Rivals, even if I wish it could come as a perk for buying a movie ticket.

Source: Marvel Rivals/YouTube