Marvel Contest of Champions PC Release Guide: New Characters, Date, Game Modes

Marvel is adding another title to the PC esports mix with fighting game Contest of Champions.

Marvel's fighting game Contest of Champions has launched on PC. / Marvel

A fresh face is entering the PC Fighting Games Community (FGC). Marvel Contest of Champions has just launched on PC after ten years on mobile, and its arrival creates new potential for Marvel game esports. Let's explore everything about the title, including its premise, how its battles work and how it may impact the overall esports sphere.

Marvel Contest of Champions: What is It?

Marvel Contest of Champions is a fighting game from Kabam Games. It includes quests, PvP and limited-time events. In the title, players become Summoners whose goal is to collect and battle with every in-game Marvel character (Champions).

Contest of Champions was originally released on mobile devices in 2014. It has over ten years of update history and more than 300 playable characters. The title is also connected to an accompanying Marvel comic series. On May 15 2025, Contest of Champions officially launched on PC. Players can access the title through its website, https://playcontestofchampions.com, which offers a direct download link. It's important to note that the game currently only works on Windows OS, meaning Steam and Mac users may be unable to boot it.

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How Does Marvel Contest of Champions Work?

Marvel Contest of Champions' battle format varies, but its 1v1 mode is similar to other fighting games, with a static vision frame and specific movesets. However, it also includes team-based quests, has a much wider hero pool than other titles and allows players to customize and upgrade their Champions.

Summoners can progress through in-game Incursions and quests to level up. These also grant the player rewards like Gold, Crystal Shards and Artifacts. For many quest events, players must assemble a team of five heroes. In addition, players can compete in a 1v1 Battlegrounds mode. This is Marvel Contest of Champions' main competitive queue. Battlegrounds has a drafting phase with Champion bans. It operates in a Season format and resets rankings after each Season passes.

Every playable in-game Champion is a Marvel character. Recent additions include the White Widow, Yelena Belova, and an alternate Jean Grey known as Dark Phoenix. Champions can range from one star to seven stars; stars indicate their rarity and strength. In addition, they come in six unique classes, which dictate their strengths and weaknesses:

• Cosmic (heroes from extraterrestrial planets)
• Tech (heroes who use technology to enhance their base abilities)
• Mutant (based on mutants from Marvel lore, like the X-men)
• Skill (heroes who rely on physical strength and athleticism)
• Science (heroes affected by scientific experimentation)
• Mystic (magic users)

Champions can also qualify for the Combined class. This hero class is usually stronger than all others and can utilize abilities from multiple classes.

In battle, every Champion has three unique special attacks and one Signature ability. There is also a team-up mechanic similar to Marvel Rivals' called Synergy. This means Champions who have lore connections or complement each other receive combat bonuses when paired together.

During a match, a power bar fills up for each Champion at the top of the screen. Reaching completion unlocks new ability and combat options.

Players purchase Champions using in-game currencies. Crystals can buy more common Champions, but rarer ones require rare items or limited event participation. Summoners can form Crystals with Crystal Shards or purchase them from the Incursion Store. It's also possible to upgrade existing Champions using Gold.

Does Marvel's Contest of Champions Have Esports?

While every PvP title has potential for an esports circuit, not all have them, so netizens are asking: Does Marvel's Contest of Champions franchise have an esports circuit? The answer is yes, and the title has already hosted several major events.

Contest of Champions' developer, Kabam, has held an annual Summoners Showdown for several years. This is considered the game's main esports tournament, and it crowns its winner as the Ultimate Summoner. The Summoner Showdown is also officially tied to Marvel, and the Contest of Champions website often includes a built-in leaderboard displaying its standings. In addition, Contest of Champions has hosted Battlerealm Brawl events to celebrate its Battlegrounds Mode winners.

Since Marvel's Contest of Champions PC version is new, no PC-exclusive tournaments exist yet. However, they are extremely likely to emerge, especially since Marvel has heavily promoted fellow title Marvel Rivals' PC esports avenues. Just a year after launch, Marvel Rivals already has two main tournaments: Marvel Rivals Ignite (MRI) and the Marvel Rivals Championship (MRC).

FGC events in general are also having a renaissance in 2025: the Super Smash Bros. community is alive and well, and games like Capcom's Street Fighter and Bandai Namco Entertainment's Tekken have active esports circles. In addition, the Fatal Fury franchise re-launched this year after over twenty years of inactivity, and Riot Games is playtesting 2XKO, a fighting game based on its League of Legends Runeterra universe. If Marvel Contest of Champions invests in its PC potential, it could find plenty of willing players and esports fans.

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