Marvel Rivals Devs Respond to Storm Swimsuit Skin Backlash (And It’s Good News)
Yesterday, Marvel Rivals revealed its next wave of Swimsuit Special skins. The lineup includes six new swimsuit skins for iconic characters, including Black Cat, Magik, and Scarlet Witch. But one skin in particular quickly drew a lot of attention, and not in a good way. Fans quickly noticed that Storm’s new Sacred Skies skin had one noticeable difference compared to the others in the lineup. The majority of the swimsuit skins, including the newly revealed Magik, Black Cat, and Scarlet Witch designs, are Legendary skins. But Storm? She has the dubious honor of being the first female swimsuit special design at the lower Epic rarity tier. And fans were not happy.
Storm’s new Sacred Skies design itself is an homage to the Marvel Swimsuit Special #4 look from 1995. It’s the rarity that’s the issue, as many fans feel it’s an unfair treatment for the character. Backlash quickly mounted on social media, with fans pointing out the double standard between Black hero Storm and the white characters with their Legendary skins debuting at the same time. Now, less than 24 hours after Storm’s new skin was revealed, NetEase has responded. And yes, they’re upgrading Storm’s skin to Legendary.
NetEase Will Upgrade Storm’s Sacred Skies Skin to Legendary Tier Following Fan Outcry
In an August 13th post via the @MarvelRivals X account, NetEase acknowledged that it has “seen the community’s feedback” about Storm’s new skin. They outlined a 3-point plan in response to overall frustration about this latest costume, as well as the general lack of Legendary options for the iconic X-Men hero. And it looks like pretty good news for Storm fans eager to have more cosmetic options in Marvel Rivals.
First, NetEase will upgrade Storm’s swimsuit skin to Legendary for free “in the near future.” They didn’t give a specific timeline, but asked for patience from players as the team reworks the design. The Legendary upgrade will also include a new in-lobby animation for Storm and an updated MVP animation. However, it will remain priced at its current $16 tier. So, in essence, fans will get the Legendary version of the costume for the cost of its current Epic version.
i can’t believe they actually did it, they made storm the first ever epic female summer skin..
— kamoola (@kamoola_) August 12, 2026
this was such an easy layup netease, your reputation is forever cooked now icl https://t.co/imNvSx4uDM
In addition, those who purchase the Storm skin will get a free Ultimate effect upgrade. Finally, NetEase has confirmed that “there will be more Storm Legendary tier costumes coming.” Whether those costumes were already in the works or are being newly designed in response to the backlash is unclear. But at any rate, it looks like NetEase heard fans’ frustration about Storm’s lack of high-rarity costumes loud and clear, and they’re going to make some adjustments going forward.
The message ends with a note asking fans not to harass staff and to “be patient” as they work on the upgraded Sacred Skies skin and future looks for Storm. In response, players are mostly rejoicing at the quick response to feedback. However, a few people are asking that NetEase apply this same feedback to other characters like Black Panther and Blade, who are also lacking Legendary tier skins. As of now, NetEase has only addressed frustration with the latest Storm skin, but it certainly seems like the team is listening to fans and reacting accordingly. Hopefully that means more Legendary skins for other heroes soon.