Marvel Rivals was among the most anticipated third-person shooter games of late 2024. In the title, you can play with vanguards, duelists and strategists on the battlefield – translating to the more familiar archetypes of tank, DPS and support respectively. The in-game currency is essential to Marvel Rivals, as players collect Chrono Tokens to buy various battle pass rewards.
Units can be slowly unlocked from battle passes and rarely from in-game rewards, while Lattice serves as the primary premium currency. Players accumulate Chrono Tokens by completing daily missions and challenges. With this currency, gamers have anticipated using the tokens for the new Season 1 battle pass. However, that won’t be the case.
Gamers bought Chrono Tokens in Season 0 of Marvel Rivals, hoping to transfer them to the new Season 1. However, the game has said accumulated totals will reset once a season ends.
The system helps players minimize losses, though Marvel recommends spending the tokens before each season concludes. This auto-redemption mechanism will claim rewards for you on the Battle Pass.
Marvel’s approach to Chrono Tokens has confused gamers, considering some transfer to the new Season 1 and others don’t.
If you bought the tokens at a discount, you can’t transfer them to a new Battle Pass season. Some players may have purchased a bundle and received the Chrono coins at a lower price.
The only way to transfer your Chrono tokens to another season is to purchase them with Lattice. If you use real-life money to buy Lattice, you can breathe easier once the season ends. Marvel recently changed this rule to help gamers.
“Fear not, for we have devised a plan to protect unused Chrono Tokens purchased with Lattice from one season to the next,” the Marvel Rivals team said.
As the new season begins, players will receive an in-game message containing the Chrono tokens. Earned currency won’t carry over, but the tokens you purchased with Lattice will remain.
This news is unwelcome for gamers, especially as 29% of people are reportedly in unmanageable levels of debt and increasingly looking to cut back on spending during uncertain economic times.
For some players, it’s just another way microtransactions have affected the industry. With only purchased Chrono Tokens transferring to the next season, it only furthers the pay-to-play approach publishers have used.
Gamers who purchased Lattice with real-life money have an advantage over everybody else, even those who spent time grinding in events and missions.
While Marvel Rivals is a recent example, it’s far from the only game that has employed this tactic. The ever-popular Fortnite has used the battle pass system for each season. Once the season has concluded, the stars used to obtain rewards in the battle pass are reset.
The battle pass was to be expected, especially after Overwatch, which Marvel Rivals seemingly takes much inspiration from, switched to a free-to-play battle pass system upon the release of Overwatch 2. While the system has been frustrating players for years, it’s the mantra of the current video game industry.
However, some players have celebrated Marvel Rivals for having all of its characters and modes free-to-play from the start, unlike competitor Overwatch 2 which only recently stopped keeping characters locked behind a paywall as of Season 10.
There is only so much you can do to earn Chrono Tokens in Marvel Rivals. Once you complete the daily and weekly challenges, there aren’t other opportunities.
Some developers are intentional with this system, forcing you to wait for more currency events. The only other way to increase your tokens is to purchase them with Lattice.
Games use this approach to keep their players more engaged for extended periods. Unfortunately, it can frustrate gamers and create boredom.
Marvel Rivals has successfully entered the third-person shooter market with a solid game. The character models, artwork and gameplay are solid and have impressed fans.
However, the in-game currency system has frustrated players with Season 1’s debut. If you had currency from Season 0, you might be out of luck unless you purchased Lattice.
