Marvel Cosmic Invasion Welcomes She-Hulk & Rocket Raccoon to the Roster

20 June 2025
Nintendo Switch
7 min.
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Marvel Cosmic Invasion Welcomes She-Hulk & Rocket Raccoon to the Roster

Summary:

Dotemu has lifted the lid on two fresh faces for its side-scrolling beat ’em up Marvel Cosmic Invasion, confirming that She-Hulk and Rocket Raccoon will join the playable lineup later this year. The reveal trailer bursts with gamma-charged haymakers and high-tech artillery, teasing how these contrasting heroes shake up combat flow as the action leaps from Marvel’s New York to the eerily glowing Negative Zone. With Annihilus threatening to drown the cosmos in destruction, players can expect hard-hitting synergy moves, retro-modern pixel art, and co-op chaos when the full game lands on PC and consoles in 2025. Below, we break down everything you need to know—from character abilities and stage variety to community buzz and release expectations—so you’re ready to smash, blast, and save the universe the moment Marvel Cosmic Invasion drops.

The World of Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Marvel Cosmic Invasion channels the spirit of classic arcade beat ’em ups while wrapping the experience in a sparkling cosmic bow. Developed by Dotemu, the studio celebrated for revitalising retro properties, the game blends side-scrolling brawls with modern conveniences—online co-op, dynamic difficulty, and an ever-growing roster of Marvel icons. At its heart lies a sprawling campaign that stretches from the bustling streets of Marvel’s New York to otherworldly realms like the Negative Zone. Visuals pop with chunky pixel art, while layered music calls back to quarter-munching cabinets. It’s a love letter to co-op chaos, allowing friends to tag-team through armies of henchmen, hulking bosses, and the galaxy-spanning menace of Annihilus.

Why the Roster Matters

Character line-ups are the backbone of any ensemble fighter, and Dotemu has leaned into Marvel’s vast tapestry of heroes. Before the latest reveal, confirmed fighters already included Spider-Man, Wolverine, Storm, Venom, Nova, Phyla-Vell, and Captain America. Each brings a signature flavour—web-slinging mobility, adamantium ferocity, elemental crowd control, symbiote brutality, cosmic energy blasts, photon swords, and patriotic shield throws. Expanding that roster with two fan-favourite misfits deepens both narrative and gameplay potential, ensuring every playthrough feels fresh.

She-Hulk’s Arrival: Gamma-Powered Might

Jennifer Walters storms into the fray wielding raw power wrapped in good-humoured charisma. Unlike her cousin Bruce, She-Hulk retains her sharp wit while radiating gamma energy. In gameplay terms, she’s the heavyweight bruiser: slow on foot yet capable of turning mobs into cosmic confetti with wide-sweeping combos. Her basic attacks chain into devastating launchers, letting teammates juggle foes mid-air. A charged “Legal Slam”—a cheeky nod to her courtroom prowess—picks up environmental objects (cars, asteroid debris, even stunned enemies) before smashing them down in an area-of-effect quake. Activating her rage meter unleashes “Gamma Burst,” surrounding her in a green glow that doubles damage output and grants temporary super-armour, shrugging off incoming hits without flinching.

Signature Moves That Shake the Screen

She-Hulk’s moveset thrives on timing. Tap heavy attack during a dash to trigger “Wallop Dash,” propelling her forward with a shoulder barge that can bulldoze through weaker minions and stagger larger threats. Hold the button and she plants her feet, winding up a haymaker that ejects unlucky targets off-screen. When her health dips below 30 percent, a passive “Last Laugh” kicks in, adding health-steal to her strikes—an incentive to stay aggressive even when the odds feel stacked.

Team-Up Potential

Pairing She-Hulk with nimble allies like Spider-Man creates a classic “power and speed” combo: Hulkette softens clustered enemies, Spidey zips in to finish. In co-op, a coordinated “Gamma Web Bounce” sees She-Hulk uppercut foes while Spider-Man webs them mid-air, slamming them down for amplified splash damage. Such synergy moves encourage communication, rewarding squads that experiment with lineup chemistry.

Rocket Raccoon: The Tactical Troubleshooter

What Rocket lacks in height he compensates with an encyclopaedic knowledge of firearms—and an ego large enough to fill the Milano. Functionally, Rocket is the zoner archetype. He peppers threats from a distance with laser-pistols, grenades, and the occasional jury-rigged war machine. Mobility is his secret sauce; double jumps, mid-air blasters, and a dodge-roll let him kite lumbering brutes while maintaining constant damage output. His special “Trash Panda Turret” plants a sentry that tracks targets automatically, freeing him to focus on crowd-control grenades that explode into colourful fireworks of shrapnel and plasma.

When Brains Meet Boomsticks

Rocket’s supers revolve around gadget mastery. “Maximum Overdrive” pulls out a shoulder-mounted cannon that fires piercing beams, melting shields and armour. “You Need This Many Guns?” swaps to a rotating weapon wheel, letting players cycle rapid-fire miniguns, rocket launchers, or shock rifles for a limited time. These bursts of firepower contrast beautifully with She-Hulk’s melee dominance, providing complementary playstyles for duo runs.

Creating Controlled Chaos

An underrated aspect of Rocket’s kit is battlefield manipulation. Sticky mines detonate in chain reactions, perfect for chokepoints. Meanwhile, the turret can be hacked mid-mission, switching from ballistic rounds to EMP blasts against robotic foes. Skilled players juggle cooldowns to maintain nearly uninterrupted area denial, turning Rocket into a pint-sized force multiplier.

How the New Heroes Change Combat Flow

Adding She-Hulk and Rocket shifts encounters from straightforward brawls to layered skirmishes. Boss patterns demand diverse tactics: Annihilus’ ground slams discourage turtling, urging players to alternate between She-Hulk’s armour-breaking punches and Rocket’s evasive pot-shots. Crowd management also evolves—She-Hulk’s wide swings cluster enemies, setting them up for Rocket’s explosive grenades. This dichotomy keeps sessions fresh, especially for repeat playthroughs hunting high scores and hidden collectibles.

Dynamic Difficulty Tweaks

Dotemu’s adaptive AI measures party composition, spawning aerial drones when rosters lean melee-heavy, or shield-bearing brutes when ranged spam dominates. The studio promises difficulty sliders that alter enemy aggression and puzzle complexity without artificially inflating health pools—a welcome choice for both casual button-mashers and hardcore combo chasers.

Traversing Marvel’s New York and Beyond

The campaign kicks off amid the neon glow of Times Square—billboards flicker, taxi cabs flip like toys under super-villain crossfire. From there, missions zig-zag through sewers, Stark Tower rooftops, and even a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier crash-site. Halfway through, the action tears open a portal to the Negative Zone. Here, cracked obsidian surfaces bounce eerie purple light, and gravitational anomalies force players to jump between floating platforms. Environmental hazards—acid pools, volatile crystals, Annihilation Wave swarms—ensure each stage feels distinct, pushing She-Hulk’s brute resilience and Rocket’s acrobatic finesse in equal measure.

Facing Annihilus and the Annihilation Wave

Annihilus rarely gets top billing in mainstream Marvel games, making his role here a treat for cosmic-level lore buffs. His insectoid army marches in wave after relentless wave, mirroring events from the “Annihilation” comic arc. Mid-campaign, players sabotage his cosmic control rod, forcing a retreat that unlocks side missions exploring Negative Zone outposts. The finale promises a screen-filling boss fight where Annihilus toggles flight, ranged beams, and summon swarms. Countering him requires She-Hulk’s stun potential and Rocket’s crowd-clearing explosives—showcasing why the new characters were introduced together.

Cooperative Synergy: Team-Up Mechanics Explained

Cosmic Invasion embraces both couch and online co-op for up to four players. Team-Up attacks build on a shared synergy meter: land consecutive hits without taking damage and a rainbow-flashing prompt appears. Activate it, and paired heroes perform cinematic finishers—She-Hulk hurls Rocket like a living missile; Rocket retaliates by remote-detonating a mini-nuke as She-Hulk slams the ground to send foes skyward. Cooldowns push teams to communicate, preventing spam while adding satisfying punctuation to hectic brawls.

Role-Based Upgrades

Level-up paths reinforce archetypes. She-Hulk chooses between pure damage, defensive parries, or support—granting nearby allies bonus armour when she taunts. Rocket splits into splash-damage grenadier, turret technician, or sharpshooter, each altering visuals and combo strings. Skill trees reset free of charge at checkpoints, encouraging experimentation without punishing commitment.

Visual & Audio Flair: Dotemu’s Retro-Modern Style

Graphically, Cosmic Invasion marries chunky pixel sprites with modern lighting overlays and parallax scrolling. Characters animate at high frame counts, capturing nuanced expressions: She-Hulk’s confident smirk mid-combo, Rocket’s ears flattening under recoil. Sound design booms with layered punches, metallic ricochets, and a synth-rock soundtrack recorded with real analog gear. Composer Tee Lopes teases motifs blending orchestral horns with 16-bit chiptunes, reinforcing the vibe of an arcade adventure powered by modern hardware.

Accessibility & Quality-of-Life

Subtitle scaling, colourblind filters, and customisable control layouts come baked in. A casual “Story Mode” removes punitive lives, letting newcomers enjoy the narrative. Meanwhile, “Arcade Mode” replicates quarter-crunching tension: three lives, no continues. Leaderboards track high scores, speed-run times, and team-up combo counts, fueling friendly rivalry.

Community Reactions and Hype Levels

Within hours of the announcement, social feeds exploded—fan art depicting gamma-powered slam dunks and Rocket perched on She-Hulk’s shoulder flooded timelines. Speed-runners dissected trailer frames to guess optimal routing, while lore enthusiasts debated which cosmic heroes might fill the remaining roster slots. Dotemu’s track record with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge gives players confidence in polished combat and nostalgic authenticity, elevating anticipation beyond a typical licensed game.

Release Window, Platforms, and What’s Next

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is slated for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch later in 2025. Pre-orders remain under wraps, but Dotemu hints at a physical collector’s edition packed with an artbook, soundtrack vinyl, and a double-sided poster. Post-launch plans include free challenge stages and paid DLC character packs—rumours swirl around cosmic heavy-hitters like Silver Surfer and Beta Ray Bill. Until an official release date drops, Dotemu promises monthly development blogs and occasional livestreams showcasing level design deep cuts, enemy breakdowns, and soundtrack previews.

Conclusion

Marvel Cosmic Invasion already looked promising, but She-Hulk’s thunderous fists and Rocket Raccoon’s over-the-top arsenal raise the stakes considerably. Their contrasting playstyles inject fresh tactical depth, while their larger-than-life personalities add charm to every brawl. With Dotemu fusing retro sensibilities and modern finesse, fans can expect a co-op romp bursting with references, replayability, and fist-pumping spectacle. Keep your controllers charged—the cosmos is calling, and it’s almost smash-and-blast o’clock.

FAQs
  • Q: When will Marvel Cosmic Invasion launch?
    • A: Dotemu aims to release the game later in 2025, with a specific date yet to be confirmed.
  • Q: Which platforms are confirmed?
    • A: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch are all on the roster.
  • Q: How many playable characters are planned?
    • A: Fifteen heroes are confirmed so far, with more reveals expected before launch.
  • Q: Is online co-op supported?
    • A: Yes—up to four players can team up locally or online, sharing synergy moves and leaderboards.
  • Q: Will there be post-launch DLC?
    • A: Dotemu has teased additional stages and characters after release, though pricing and schedules remain under wraps.
Sources
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