Marvel Rivals is gearing up for the launch of Season 10, and NetEase seems to have decided to link the upcoming events not only with new characters but also with familiar heroes. Players have noticed that Loki has unexpectedly disappeared from several game modes.
The God of Mischief was disabled in Quick Play, Arcade, as well as 18v18 modes and AI training. However, Loki is still available in the game's social hubs and competitive modes.
NetEase has not yet explained the reason for this decision. However, Loki's disappearance just before the start of Season 10 seems far from accidental. One of the main candidates for the cause is Gorr the God Butcher, who, according to numerous reports, is expected to be one of the new playable characters of the season.
Gorr is well-known from the Marvel movie "Thor: Love and Thunder," where his main goal was the destruction of gods. Therefore, Gorr's temporary disappearance could well be part of the new season's storyline. Moreover, other Asgardian gods — Thor and Hela — are potentially under threat.
It is possible that as the story develops, they may also become Gorr's targets and temporarily disappear from some modes. However, this is most likely a story event, not a complete removal of characters from the game.
Marvel Rivals has already used similar techniques to develop the in-game story. For example, in previous events, Apocalypse killed Gambit, Psylocke, and Wolverine during the Mystery of Thebes, but the heroes were later resurrected by Jubilee.
Nightcrawler is expected to appear in Marvel Rivals Season 10 along with Gorr. NetEase is expected to reveal official details about the new season soon.