NetEase’s new 5v5 hero shooter Marvel Rivals surprised its community in late June with a generous giveaway event that essentially handed out free premium currency to every player. Dubbed the “Push and Escape: Ultron Pursuit” challenge, the event was a clever 9-tile sliding puzzle posted in Marvel Rivals’ official Discord server. 

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All You Need to Know About The Puzzle Event

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The premise? Help Iron Man find an escape path while Ultron’s block stays put. By downloading the puzzle image and drawing arrows to indicate each block’s moves, then submitting the solved image with their player ID, any participant could claim 6,000 Units completely free. That amount of Units is significant: according to the event notes, ~6,000 Units is enough to unlock two or more hero skins (most skins cost between 1,600 and 2,800 Units each in the shop). 

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In other words, Marvel Rivals essentially gave every player who bothered to do a simple puzzle the equivalent of two free character outfits; a hefty reward for minimal effort.

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The event wasn’t a contest or lottery; every player with a correct submission before the June 30 deadline was guaranteed the 6,000 Unit prize deposited to their account. Of course, there were extra incentives for early birds and a bit of gamification: the first five people to submit a correct solution earned $20 gift cards, and 20 random participants got an extra 300 Units on top. 

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But crucially, all valid participants got the main reward. Because entries were submitted publicly in Discord, it was trivial for latecomers to copy a solution once it was posted. In effect, the puzzle’s answer spread through the community, meaning even players who didn’t solve it themselves could enter the moves and still reap the 6,000 Units reward. This quirk turned the event into a viral free-for-all: the moment someone shared the solved puzzle, thousands more could follow and claim the prize. And indeed, that’s what happened: the event saw a flood of entries as word got out that essentially free money was on the table.

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A Master Stroke of a Move

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For Marvel Rivals, which is still building its player base, the Ultron puzzle giveaway was a brilliant move to drive engagement and goodwill. The game’s Discord community swelled with activity; even players who had gone semi-dormant had a reason to log back in (who can refuse free currency?). It also introduced many to the official Discord; a smart way to grow the community hub. The timing during Season 2 was apt, as new heroes like Emma Frost and Ultron had just been added, and the devs likely wanted more players to try unlocking cosmetics for them. By lowering the cost barrier via free Units, they effectively let players sample the monetization items without spending real money, which can encourage future purchases.

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The Bigger Picture

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For African Marvel Rivals players, this event was a windfall. In regions where disposable income for in-app purchases can be limited, a giveaway of this size is especially welcome, it allowed fans to snag some premium skins or other goodies without spending a cent. 

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The huge uptake (we can infer thousands of entries, given Marvel Rivals’ Discord has millions of member) also proves the power of community engagement events. Rather than traditional advertising, NetEase generated buzz through an interactive challenge and word-of-mouth. This suggests that even for new titles, interactive promotions can effectively drive player interest and retention. 

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Ultimately, the Ultron puzzle was basically free money in gamers’ pockets, and who doesn’t love that? It has set a precedent that players will be watching for in future seasons, and it shows that game companies are willing to get creative to build loyalty in emerging markets.

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