‘Marvel Rivals’ Players Are Outraged After NetEase Games Makes Them Pay for New Costume Colors

NetEase upset players of Marvel Rivals after revealing that the upcoming Customized Costume Colors would require a special currency. Many who were excited about the customization options are now criticizing the pricing. Yes, in 2025, it seems even skin colors will cost you an arm and a leg!

Alternate Skin Colors Will Cost You A Pretty Penny

The new Marvel Rivals customization option was initially teased in April 2025 by NetEase as a way for players to change up the appearance of their favorite characters. However, upon its release on April 17, players were surprised by the feature’s unexpectedly high cost.

In a post on Twitter, NetEase explained how Marvel Rivals‘ Customized Color Costumes would work, stating: “Customized Costume Colors will cost 600 Unstable Molecules for exchange. Unstable Molecules can be exchanged from Lattice at a 1:1 rate.” To make matters worse, the feature currently only applies to a limited number of select costumes—although more will be added at a “later date.”

Now, you might be thinking: why is this a big deal? After all, game companies charge for alternate skins all the time. The problem, however, is that many players have already shelled out an exorbitant amount of money for some of these premium skins. In fact, some Marvel Rivals skins cost as much as $20. So, asking players to first pay a premium for the costume, and then an additional 600 Unstable Molecules just to change its color, feels pretty wild.

‘Marvel Rivals’ Players Are Not Happy With the Cost

As soon as NetEase revealed the cost of Marvel Rivals‘ Customized Color Costumes, players responded to the announcement with criticism. For example, one user exclaimed, “600 is too much for skins we already paid a premium on.” Another player pointed out, “Fortnite makes outfit styles free btw. At least lower the cost to something reasonable like 300.”

If you are as confused about what an “Unstable Molecule” is as I am, then you are not alone! In fact, some fans have actually been critical of Marvel Rivals and NetEase in the past for this as well, accusing them of creating a ridiculous amount of “meme currency.” However, based on the game’s shop pricing, it roughly equates to a $6 charge.

A general consensus among the community is that NetEase is being “greedy.” The major point of contention for most fans is that they’ve already paid for the skin—so why are they being charged just to change its color palette? And to be fair, a lot of these complaints are reasonable. I mean, yeah, Fortnite offers players alternate versions of skins for free, so this feels a bit steep.

Only time will tell whether Marvel Rivals will lower the price of Customized Color Costumes. However, at launch, it seems most of the community isn’t happy with the system. That said, it’s worth pointing out that NetEase has largely been praised for how they’ve handled the superhero multiplayer experience up to this point. Hopefully, this is just a stumble—and not the start of a more sinister trend.