NetEase is upgrading Storm’s Sacred Skies swimsuit costume in Marvel Rivals to Legendary for free after backlash over its Epic rarity. The move will bring an all-new lobby animation and an updated MVP animation, while the costume stays on sale for $16.
The change lands now because Summer Festival Vol. 2 has already put Storm’s summer skin under a spotlight, and players were quick to notice that the Sacred Skies outfit was not Legendary. That criticism sharpened into a simple complaint: Storm was the only character in the game not to receive a Legendary summer cosmetic, and the reaction spread fast enough for NetEase to answer it directly.
NetEase said players who buy the costume will also receive a free Ultimate effect upgrade. The company said the Legendary version will arrive in the near future, and it paired that promise with a broader pledge that more Storm Legendary-tier costumes are coming over the rest of the year. For anyone watching the storm summer skin marvel rivals debate, the immediate question is not whether the upgrade is real — NetEase has already said it is — but how much of the cosmetic is being lifted beyond the new lobby animation, the updated MVP animation and the Ultimate effect.
That detail matters because the costume did not disappear from sale when the backlash hit. It remains priced at $16, which means current and future buyers are being asked to pay the same amount for a cosmetic that will soon sit in a higher tier without an added charge. NetEase’s response also included an apology to the community, and the company said its goal is to create a positive community for everyone who loves the game.
But the company also drew a line. In the same message, it said harassment of staff, including the development team and moderators, is not acceptable. That warning matters because the reaction around Sacred Skies has already gone beyond disappointment over rarity and into sharper criticism about who gets attention in Marvel Rivals. The backlash tied this release to older complaints that players felt the game had overlooked POC characters, adding another layer to what might otherwise have been a routine cosmetic update.
For now, the outcome is clear: Storm’s Sacred Skies swimsuit costume will be moved to Legendary, the upgrade will be free, and buyers will get the added effect changes without paying more. What NetEase has not pinned down is the exact timing, only that the update is coming in the near future — a narrow window that keeps the controversy alive until the new version actually appears.
