A new update for Marvel Rivals arrives tomorrow, bringing the first wave of Marvel Rivals Skin Customization options to the game. This patch will go live before the weekly shop refresh, which always happens at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday.

While it might be confusing for some, players will be able to buy new alternate color shaders for four specific skins after the update goes live. These customization options were first teased during the developer talk for Season 2, and they’re finally becoming available.

Four Skins Get New Shader Options in Marvel Rivals Skin Customization

The four skins receiving shaders this week belong to Luna Snow, Winter Soldier, Psylocke, and Magik. Each of these will get one new shader: Plasma Pulse, Phantom Purple, Rosy Resilience, and Winter’s Wrath. All shaders are character-specific, and each skin only gets one shader for now. This contradicts earlier expectations that all four shaders would be available across all four outfits.

To access these shaders, owning the base skin is required. If the skin isn’t in the collection, the shader can’t be applied. This isn’t a free update, and pricing has not been confirmed. Based on past pricing models in similar games, these shaders will likely cost between 300 and 600 V-Bucks.

Some fans assumed the shaders might be free, but the developers have made it clear that they will not be. Marvel Rivals follows a free-to-play structure, and cosmetic updates like these remain part of the monetization strategy.

Expectations Around Shader Pricing and Availability

Currently, shader pricing remains unconfirmed. However, comparisons to other games suggest a cost of around 300 to 600 lattice per shader. In past updates, alternate versions of main skins in Marvel Rivals cost around 600 lattice. That suggests shaders may be more affordable, especially since they only change the color pattern.

It’s still unclear whether purchasing a shader will unlock it for multiple outfits in the future. Right now, shaders apply only to specific skins. Games like Destiny use a universal shader system, and Marvel Rivals could consider adopting that model. For now, only the following skins will support shaders: Vengeance Mariah, 2099 Blood Soldier, Punkchild, and the four mentioned earlier.

Miller, a source frequently referenced for Marvel Rivals content, has previewed shader variants for each character. The Winter Soldier shader appears Dracula-inspired. Luna Snow’s alternate shader introduces a welcome change from her original palette. Magik’s alternate shader improves the look of a previously unpopular skin, and Psylocke’s shader flips the original colors in a striking way.

Future of Marvel Rivals Skin Customization Looks Promising

Tomorrow’s patch marks only the beginning of Marvel Rivals Skin Customization. Each of the four characters receiving shaders this week will gain additional color combos in future updates. While this rollout might feel limited, it sets the foundation for a larger skin personalization system.

The developers plan to expand the feature gradually, potentially based on skin popularity. If successful, more characters will receive shader support in upcoming patches. For now, this initial batch brings a small but meaningful way to personalize skins in the game.

For those planning to purchase shaders, remember they are not universal and only apply to specific skins. Additional shader support will likely arrive soon, but for now, only four characters get one shader each.