Marvel Rivals is kicking off its first seasonal event, and thanks to a certain land shark, it is likely going to make a splash. Marvel’s Winter Celebration is heavily themed around everyone’s favorite (or possibly least favorite) Strategist hero, Jeff the Land Shark. Jeff has been making waves in Rivals thanks to his impactful ultimate ability. It might be his notoriety that won him the spot as this first event’s mascot, or he could have been chosen simply because he’s one of the cutest heroes on the roster.

The Marvel Rivals Winter Celebration is bringing with it a new game mode as well as some new unlockables. New items will be earned through quests, so players will likely want to know exactly when they can start grinding to get the cosmetics that they want. It’s also helpful to know exactly what can be earned from this event, so players know if it’s worth their time or if they are not interested in what it has to offer.

When Marvel Rivals' Winter Celebration Starts

Marvel Rivals’ Winter Celebration Starts December 20, 2024

Marvel Rivals’ Winter Celebration kicks off at midnight UTC on Monday, December 20. Players who want to hop on as soon as it launches should probably expect to have a small update. It likely won’t be anything too large given that the event isn’t adding too many new assets to the game, so players can probably expect to start playing shortly after the event goes live.

As of now, there is no word on how long the Winter Celebration will last. Because it’s a “Winter” event and not a holiday event, this could suggest that it will stretch into the new year. That said, if Marvel Rivals wants to take even more inspiration from Overwatch and do its own Lunar New Year celebration, the Winter Celebration could end shortly after the holidays, leaving a small gap between events. As the game’s first event, it’s hard to say if it will establish a standard length for all events.

Jeff's Winter Splash Festival Game Mode Explained

The New Game Mode Pits Teams Of Jeffs Against Each Other

Jeff’s Winter Splash Festival is a new Arcade game mode coming to Marvel Rivals for the Winter Celebration. This is a four-on-four casual game mode where everyone plays as Jeff the Land Shark. Instead of one of Rivals’ standard objectives, teams will compete to cover the largest area of the map using Jeff’s attack.

For this mode, Jeff’s attacks leave a mark on the ground. This allows players to paint the ground with Jeff’s basic attack, or color larger segments of the ground with area-of-effect attacks like his ultimate ability. Players can still attack one another like normal, so the mode will be a balance between eliminating enemy players and trying to cover a larger percentage of the map than the opponent.

Players have had split reactions to Jeff since Marvel Rivals’ release. Some players have expressed their joy at being able to swallow the entire enemy team and spit them off the edge, while those who have fallen prey to this attack too many times are frustrated by it. Regardless of one’s opinion on Jeff in a more competitive game mode, his ultimate ability seems like the perfect way to ensure an Arcade mode can have a lot of fun chaotic moments. This will be especially true when all eight players in a game can do it.

Rewards, Maps, & Gameplay Details

Marvel Rivals’ Winter Celebration Includes New Skins And Decorations

Aside from the Jeff gameplay mode, the Winter Celebration is bringing a few more changes to Marvel Rivals. As is to be expected from this type of seasonal event, this includes five new costumes for heroes that go along with the event’s theme. Festive skins include a bearded Groot decorated for the holidays, Rocket in a red coat and Santa hat, a white icy Venom, and Magik in a full snow suit. All players who participate will also get Jeff’s winter-themed “Cuddly Fuzzlefin” costume for free.

Players will also be able to get a unique new Gallery Card: Jeff’s Winter Greeting Card. This is a customizable gallery card that allows players to add different festive elements to it and switch the background to create their own custom holiday cards. Additionally, there will be a variety of quests that allow players to unlock themed sprays, nameplates, and more.

It also looks like the maps in Marvel Rivals will be getting an aesthetic update to go along with the new event. Although only one of the Asgard maps has been previewed so far, the new ice statue of Loki on it would indicate that maps will be getting decorated for the season. The trailer for the event says to “stay tuned,” so more about the event may be revealed in the days leading up to its release.

Source: YouTube/Mavel Entertainment