Marvel Rivals developers re-evaluated the rarity of Storm's new Sacred Skies swimsuit less than 24 hours after its announcement. Initially, the costume was supposed to be epic, but after a massive player reaction, NetEase announced its free upgrade to legendary.
The Sacred Skies costume was unveiled on August 12 as part of the Marvel Rivals summer skins series. Players quickly noticed that Storm was the only female character among those presented with an Epic rarity swimsuit — other heroines' costumes, including Magik and Scarlet Witch, received legendary status.
This sparked a wave of criticism on social media. Some players, including Storm fans and members of the Black community, accused the developers of unequal treatment of Black characters in the distribution of high-tier cosmetic items.
On August 13, NetEase released an official statement and announced several changes. Sacred Skies will be upgraded from epic to legendary for free, with the costume's price remaining the same at $16. Buyers will also receive the upgrade for free.
At the same time, the developers separately condemned the harassment of employees. In its statement, NetEase emphasized that it understands players' emotional reactions, but insults and harassment of development team members and moderators are unacceptable.