X-Men ’97 season 2 may be finished, but its version of Marvel’s mutant heroes is returning this week through a new Marvel Rivals crossover.
Gambit and Rogue lead the crossover
NetEase Games first teased the collaboration in the Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 roadmap, published at the beginning of August. It listed mysterious X-Men ’97 cosmetics for 4 September, while the developer held back the details until just hours before release.
The official Marvel Rivals announcement has now confirmed two new skins, both based on the Disney Plus animated series. The selected characters are Rogue and Gambit, the popular mutant couple at the centre of the reveal.
Gambit’s costume draws from his appearance in the season 2 finale, where he is possessed by Apocalypse. The design combines elements of Apocalypse’s visual style, including blue facial markings, with details from Gambit’s earlier Horseman appearance.
Rogue, meanwhile, will receive the Celestial outfit she wears during the season 2 finale. These additions give players a way to bring the animated series’ latest looks into the hero shooter.
When the X-Men ’97 skins release
Both crossover cosmetics are scheduled to arrive on 4 September at 2:00 am UTC. For players in the United States, that works out to 7:00 pm PDT or 10:00 pm EDT on 3 September.
The announcement has not confirmed which rarity tier either costume will occupy. Australian players should check their local in-game release time, as the UTC launch falls later on 4 September across Australian time zones.
Fan reaction is mixed
Early responses to the costumes have been uneven. Gambit’s design has attracted particular criticism because some players think it looks too close to the Dead Man’s Hand outfit released earlier in the season. Rogue’s costume has also been described by some fans as underwhelming.
A broader criticism is that neither skin represents the strongest visual work from X-Men ’97 season 2. Some players would have preferred the X-Factor– and New X-Men-inspired appearances for Jean and Scott, or Storm’s look from the future timeline.
Whether the collaboration grows beyond these two costumes remains unknown. Fans may see more animated-series designs in a possible season 3 promotion, but no such additions have been confirmed.
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