Kabam and Netmarble are teaming up once again with Marvel to bring a new real-time RPG to Android. This title is known as Marvel Realm of Champions, and it will serve duty as the followup to Marvel Contest of Champions. It's expected to land sometime in 2020. Apparently, Realm of Champions will offer a reimagining of the Marvel Universe that's set on Battleworld, a forbidden planet hidden behind the Space-Time Barrier recently disrupted by the death of Maestro, the God-King. This results in a universe-wide battle themed around the Secret Wars event from 1984.

As expected, the above announcement trailer for Marvel Realm of Champions does not show off any gameplay, so we still don't know exactly how the game will play. The description for the game states that this title will exist as a real-time RPG where you'll battle foes in PvE and PvP matches across a variety of Marvel-themed maps. You'll start out by choosing your champion to outfit them with gear, and then you'll have to strategically use your character's abilities in each battle for maximum devastation. It would appear that there will be at least four separate Houses in the game, and once your faction is chosen, you'll have to work with other players to lead this House to victory.

So far, details surrounding Realm of Champions are still light, so we don't know how the title will be monetized, but since this is a Kabam and Netmarble product tied to a popular property, I'm pretty sure we can expect a free-to-play game filled with in-app purchases. Currently, there aren't even any screenshots available, but since this is a game slated for release in 2020, I suppose that's not unusual, though I have to question the point of this recent announcement when there's nothing to show other than a cinematic trailer.

All in all, it looks like Kaban and Netmarble are continuing their path to monetize the Marvel Universe by soon offering a real-time mobile RPG that sounds just like every other F2P RPG already available on the Play Store. I suppose the faction mechanic is kind of interesting, but since games like this often lean towards pay-to-win mechanics, I know I'll personally skip playing the title. Of course, I'm sure Marvel Realm of Champions will be a huge success despite any downsides, so if you'd like to receive updates about the game's development, you can register for these alerts on the official Marvel Realm of Champions website.

PRESS RELEASE

Source: Marvel Realm of Champions

UPDATE: 2020/08/11 7:01am PDT BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ

Netmarble finally reveals the first gameplay trailer for Marvel Realm of Champions

Almost a year ago, Netmarble and Kabam officially announced the followup to Marvel Contest of Champions, and up to this week, we've yet to see the game in action. Well, this issue has been rectified by the release of an official gameplay trailer on YouTube (above), and unlike the original action-fighting game, this sequel is a 3v3 MOBA, somewhat similar to the upcoming mobile MOBA Marvel Super War. Of course, it doesn't look like Super War will be coming to the West, so I suppose Marvel Realm of Champions will exist as the Marvel-branded mobile MOBA option in the West.

Seeing that it took almost a year for Netmarble to finally reveal the gameplay for Marvel Realm of Champions, as you would expect, we still have no idea when the game will be released, though you can pre-register for updates on the official website. Back in October of 2019, it was announced the title would land on the Play Store sometime in 2020, but with corona and everything else going on, who knows when the game will actually arrive. This also means we still have no idea how the game will be monetized, though if I had to hazard a guess, I'd bet on the title landing as a free-to-play game filled with in-app purchases. In short, I expect a cash grab.

Still, it's nice to see that development for Marvel Realm of Champions is moving along, and with what was shown off in the above trailer is anything to go by, it would appear the game is reaching its final stages of development. Character customization looks to be a huge mechanic in the title, so expect to collect your favorite heroes as well as many of their outfits. PvE and PvP modes will be on offer, so you can choose to play solo or team up with your friends, and like all MOBAs, battles will take place in real-time. Hopefully, in the coming months, we'll have more info to share as development moves forward. So stay tuned.

UPDATE: 2020/10/23 10:32am PDT BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ

After a year of teasing, MARVEL Realm of Champions lands on the Play Store with pre-reg in tow

We first learned about the sequel to Marvel Contest of Champions last year (2019). While, at the time, details about Marvel Realm of Champions were light, we finally saw a glimpse of the game in action this past August (2020), revealing that the game is indeed a 3v3 MOBA that will most likely launch as a free-to-play release. While we still don't know exactly how the game will be monetized, it's finally listed on the Google Play Store, and you can pre-register to receive a release announcement the day it officially arrives. Of course, we still don't know when Marvel Realm of Champions will be released either, though it does appear we are nearing that date now that pre-reg is available.

UPDATE: 2020/11/09 10:53am PST BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ

MARVEL Realm of Champions launches this December

Last month (October 2020), Kabam and Netmarble finally listed Marvel Realm of Champions on the Play Store for pre-registration, but at the time, the studios still didn't have a release date to share. Today, the official Marvel Realm of Champions Twitter account announced that the anticipated MOBA will be released on December 16th. We've also learned that those who pre-register will earn two perfect gear pieces as well as some extra in-game currency. So if you'd like to unlock these rewards while setting yourself up to receive a notification upon release, you can pre-register through the Play Store widget at the bottom of the page.

Source: Twitter

UPDATE: 2020/12/16 6:30am PST BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ

Kabam releases Marvel Realm of Champions to a lukewarm reception

Well, it would appear that Kabam and Netmarble have released Marvel Realm of Champions slightly early on the Play Store. The full release announcement is planned for 9 AM PT, but since the game is already available, why wait. So far, user reviews have been tearing the title apart, mostly due to the game's extremely poor matchmaking that will pit new players against seasoned veterans, a typical tactic to push players towards a game's in-app purchases, which just so happen to range up to $99.99 per item in this release. Worse yet, the gameplay is stale thanks to the fact this MOBA does not offer any lanes, and so everyone meets in the middle where the longtime players trounce newbies since there is no way to work around a face-to-face matchup that's mismatched.

So there it is. Marvel Realm of Champions is a shallow and lifeless MOBA built from the ground up to suck up money by pitting unskilled players against lifers. Sure, the graphics are nice, and while the animations are a little stiff, the game often looks great, it's just too bad the gameplay is unbalanced and shallow. The Marvel franchise derves better than this. Of course, if you'd like to see this all for yourself, you can grab a copy from the Play Store widget at the bottom of the page.