NetEase shares in-depth look into Marvel Rivals Ignite 2026 roadmap

NetEase Games has revealed a detailed 2026 roadmap for Marvel Rivals Ignite, the esports circuit for its hero-shooter.

Teams from across the regions will compete across various stages throughout 2026 to reach the two LAN’s, Mid-Season Finals and Grand Finals.

The developers first unveiled what to expect from the next year of Marvel Rivals esports in an announcement video on its official channel, describing a ‘more professional’ scene compared to its inaugural season.

Marvel Rivals Ignite 2026 is divided into multiple phases similar to the 2025 edition, comprised of the Preseason, Stage 1, Mid-Season Finals, Stage 2, and the Grand Finals.

All major regions, including Americas, EMEA, and the merged Pacific region (Asia and Oceania), will participate throughout the year. However, the post by NetEase does not detail the schedule for China.

According to the roadmap, the year begins with the Preseason. Americas and EMEA kick off in early March, running group stages and playoffs through to the start of April. While grouped under the Pacific banner, Asia and Oceania’s Preseason will unfold separately. Asia runs from mid-March to early April, while Oceania starts in April and concludes just before May.

Marvel Rivals Ignite 2026 will then kickstart the circuit with Stage 1. Americas, EMEA and Oceania will all begin their Group Stage at the beginning of May, with Asia starting shortly afterwards. The Playoffs will conclude at the start of June, with Oceania and Asia competing against one another in a joint tournament.

The Mid-Season Qualifiers will begin in July, 2026, serving as the last-ditch effort for teams to reach the Mid-Season Finals, the first official cross-regional LAN event of the year. The main competition will then unfold a month later in August 2026.

Stage 2 will transpire the same way as Stage 1, running from the beginning of September through to early October. It will serve as the final event before the crowning event of the 2026 season, The Marvel Rivals Ignite Grand Finals.

The world championship tournament will take place in mid-November before concluding the circuit by the start of December 2026, where the champions of Ignite 2026 will be decided.

Throughout the year, the Marvel Rivals Championships (MRC) will take place as community tournaments every season, which will occur every two months. This year, MRC holds more significance, playing a crucial role in the new promotion and relegation story.

There will be five in total, beginning in March for Season 6: Night at the Museum. Season 7 will run through late April into May, while MRC for Season 8 will take place mid-June.

MRC Season 9 won’t begin until late August after the Mid-Season Finals, and Season 10’s MRC will occur in late October into early November, just before the Grand Finals