The game features an English expression that refers to an adult activity, and the character design may draw inspiration from it.

Marvel Rivals has become known for appealing to players’ baser instincts. At one point, fans joked that “thick thighs save lives.” The game’s creative director, Guangyun Chen, has finally addressed its reputation as a “gooner game”—a term suggesting that the game inspires certain players to engage in self-pleasure.

“As mentioned earlier, our design is inspired by classic comic themes, including standout skins like Mantis and Psylocke’s Revenge, which all come from classic comic designs. We take those comic foundations and craft more fashionable concepts to appeal to our players. As I previously mentioned with the Squirrel Girl and Krakoa Resort skins, these are designs based on real-world themes and the season’s story. With designs like these, we aim to integrate the seasonal narrative, including elements from Krakoa, and mix in popular real-life styles. We create new designs from that base, and I’m very thankful that most players appreciate them,” Chen explained to the Rivals Assembled YouTube channel.

For several years, Marvel Comics published annual swimsuit editions that gave artists an excuse to draw their favorite heroes in risqué, sometimes nearly pornographic poses—something fans could appreciate in the privacy of their bathrooms or wherever they pleased. Tight outfits aren’t just for superheroes: the developers even released a patch that enlarged the buttocks of all male characters. Women received similar visual treatment—Emma Frost’s appearance, especially her thighs, comes to mind.

And those early 1990s swimsuit editions? Marvel Rivals brought them back—showing, among others, Frank Castle in Punisher swim trunks and slippers. Chen likely felt obligated to provide a safe, polite answer to the “gooner” reputation—one that wouldn’t rattle the executives at developer NetEase.

Source: PCGamer, Kotaku