Summoners!
Kabam has just posted an update to the Road Map. While much of it is a review of items that have already been added to the game, there are many important updates. Here’s a quick look at what’s in development.
CONTENT
Book 2 Chapter 1 – Confirmed release on December 9
Summer of Pain – Delayed, potential Spring 2021 Release
Variant 6 – More info coming soon
Note that Variant 6 is expected to be the Luke Cage/Jessica Jones/Netflix Daredevil Event Quest, and that Netflix Daredevil has been confirmed as the December champion buff.
ALLIANCES
The news here is Kabam is working toward a big revamp of both Alliance Quest and Alliance War, so this is delaying some of the individual items on the Road Map
Path Assignments – Delayed until AQ/AW Revamp
Defender Placements – Delayed until AW Revamp
AQ Officer – In development – No ETA
Undo Button – In Development – No ETA
Help All – Delayed – We will likely see Help 8 / Help 16 – No ETA
Alliance Quest – Link Node Rework & Energy Rework In Design – No ETA
Raid Bosses – Still Early In Design Phase – No ETA
CHAMPIONS
Wish Crystal – In Design – Late 2020/Early 2021 Timeline
Champion Buff Schedule:
December – Daredevil (Devil of Hell’s Kitchen) – Overhaul
January – None
February – Two Tune-Ups & Two Updates
March – Two Tune-Ups & Two Updates
April – Two Overhauls
The February-April schedule will be the three month cycle for champion buffs going forward.
A CONTEST EVOLVED
Duel Target “Fight Again Button” – Paused – Still coming but other items have been prioritized,
Volume Trigger Gameplay Mechanic – In Development – Volume Triggers (sometimes called “Area of Effect”) are expected early in 2021,
Fight Replays – Paused – Early tech for this is in place, but other features have been prioritized. Expected sometime in 2021.
Strikers – In Development – Still in early design stage, need to figure out how Strikers will work and interact with existing game systems. Possible sneak peak in the works.
Incursions Hacks Update – In Design – Next 2-3 Months Based on Original Timeline.
Incursions Firewalls/Matchmaking Zone Targets/Champ Refresh & No Cooldown – In Development – No ETA
Incursions Friendships Benefits/Abilities – Not Started – No ETA
Arena PI Differentials – In Design – Looking at further improvements after the October Arena Update.
Arena Auto Help/Boosts/Auto Select Team – In Design – No ETA
Arena 2.0 – In Design – No ETA – More to come on what exactly this is.
Social Progression – Paused – Prioritizing current features for now.
Solo Competitive Mode – In Design – No ETA – Exploring potential competitive gameplay options.
-Dano357
Chapter Guide – Act 2.4.4 – Two Maniacs – Mighty Colossus
Summoners!
Here’s my guide for Act 2.4.4 “Two Maniacs” in Marvel Contest of Champions.

General Thoughts:
There are three paths in 2.4.4 with the gated center path being the most difficult. That being said, I don’t think there is too much that will trip you up here.
I didn’t reach any account milestones during my run through 2.4.4.
If you have questions about the basic attack moves and combos in Marvel Contest of Champions, please check out my MCOC 101: Combos guide.
Best Champs: Any
Restrictions: Need 1 Mutant & 1 Skill Champion
Global Node: None
Boss: Colossus
Boss Notes: Colossus isn’t a difficult Boss, but he is immune to most forms of Damage-over-Time Debuffs and is also Armor Break-Immune. Keep that in mind when choosing your attacker.
Lane 1 – Left
Gate: None
Defenders: Sabretooth, Nick Fury, Doctor Octopus, Archangel, Psylocke, Vulture,
Nodes: None
Team: 5-Star Captain America Infinity War, 5-Star Hulk, 4-Star Emma Frost, 3-Star Guardian, 3-Star Elsa Bloodstone
Tips: Nick Fury isn’t awakened, so you don’t have to worry about his second phase.
Lane 2 – Center
Gate: Need 1 Mutant & 1 Skill Champion
Defenders: Sabretooth, Old Man Logan, Ronin, Archangel, War Machine, Moon Knight
Nodes: None
Team: 5-Star Captain America Infinity War, 5-Star Hulk, 4-Star Emma Frost, 3-Star Guardian, 3-Star Elsa Bloodstone
Tips: This is the hard path, as the defenders have their awakened abilities active, and some of them have specials that are difficult to dodge.
Lane 3 – Right
Gate: None
Defenders: Sabretooth, Iron Patriot, Namor, Archangel, Kingpin, Beast
Nodes: None
Team: 5-Star Captain America Infinity War, 5-Star Hulk, 4-Star Emma Frost, 3-Star Guardian, 3-Star Elsa Bloodstone
Tips: This is the easiest of the three paths.
My Roster:

Jump To:
Act 2.3.6 – “Whispers” – Rhino Charge!
Act 2.4.1 – “Benefactor” – Level 28
Act 2.4.2 – “Purpose” – Class Gates
Act 2.4.3 – “Revealed” – 4-Star Emma Frost to Rank 4
Act 2.4.4 – “Two Maniacs” – Mighty Colossus
Act 2.4.5 – “Nearer” – Emma Frost to 4/40
Act 2.4.6 – “Conquered” – Kang Defeated
Act 3.1.1 – “A New Foe” – Thanos
-Dano357
Around The Battlerealm – November 6, 2020
Summoners!
Here’s your Marvel Contest of Champions news brief for Friday, November 6, 2020.
Schedule Notes: 100% Roster Availability begins at 3pm EST, following the conclusion of the Alliance Quest Series. The Tier 4 Basic Arena begins at 6pm EST.

RichTheMan has your guide to the Gamma Store.
-Dano357
Around The Battlerealm – November 5, 2020
Summoners!
Here’s your Marvel Contest of Champions news brief for Thursday, November 5, 2020.
Schedule Notes: Round 1 of the 4-Star Basic Black Widow Deadly Origin and Pick 1 of 4 Hulks Arena (OG Hulk/Hulkbuster/Joe Fixit/Hulk Ragnarok) Featured Champion Arenas begin at 1pm EST.

Here’s my full breakdown of the November Side Quest with rewards spreadsheet.
RichTheMan tests out Root on the first Shadow Base Raid.
Katy Candy uploaded her Cavalier Boss Fights.
Karatemike showcases Ghost’s damage with the Foresight node.
-Dano357
How The November 2020 Side Quest Works – Shadow Base Raids & Joe Fixit’s Fine Goods
Summoners!
My favorite meme-tier champion, Joe Fixit, has quite a Side Quest in store for us this month. As always, my full breakdown is below, and you can also DOWNLOAD THE REWARDS SPREADSHEET.
The goal for this month is to earn as much Gamma Radiation as possible during the event, so that you can trade it in at Joe Fixit’s Fine Goods Store for rewards. Gamma Radiation can be found in events throughout the Contest, including the monthly Event Quest, Solo Objectives, a 7-Day Calendar, Arenas, and Shadow Base Raids
EVENT SCHEDULE
The November Side Quest runs from Wednesday, November 4 at 1pm EST until Wednesday, December 2 at 1pm EST.
HOW TO PLAY
The Side Quest for this month is called Shadow Base Raids. You need a Gamma Gauntlet to enter a Shadow Base, and you’ll receive one Gamma Gauntlet per day from a login calendar for a total of 28 Gamma Gauntlets.
You can use a Gamma Gauntlet to open a Shadow Base Raid, and from that point you’ll have only 30 minutes to get as far as you can in the quest. The further you get, the more Gamma Radiation you earn!
There are a total of 10 defenders on the path in the Shadow Base Raid, and 7 different iterations of the map. The map will change to the next variant after 24 hours – similar to the Heralds of Galactus Side Quest.

There are 4 difficulty levels: Heroic, Master, Epic, and Legendary. Since you only get 28 Gauntlets, you can’t play them all. Instead, you need to focus on the difficulty level that earns you the most Gamma Radiation.
Because you earn Gamma Radiation each fight – not by completing the path – there is a cutoff point where it makes sense to move up to the next difficulty. For example, completing all 10 fights in Epic may not net you as much Gamma has completing 6 fights in Legendary. Once we have that information, I’ll update the post.
Like with past Side Quests, you can save up your Gamma Gauntlets and run Shadow Base Raids multiple times a day.
However, unlike the last few events, once you open the event you are committed to it, so do not back out or you will lose your Gamma Gauntlet!
GAMMA RADIATION
So at this point you’re wondering how much Gamma Radiation you can earn. The maximum amount of Gamma Radiation a player can earn during the event is 1.9 million.
Here’s where the Gamma Radiation is:
Event Quest (Completion Runs)
Normal- 6,000
Heroic- 50,000
Master – 150,000
Uncollected – 450,000
Solo Objectives – 130,000
7-Day Calendar – 112,000
Arenas – 152,000
Shadow Base Raids
Heroic – 20,000 *
Master – 110,000 *
Epic – 350,000 *
Legendary – 850,000 *
* – Remember, because Gauntlets are limited, you can’t earn all the Shadow Base Raid Gamma.
JOE FIXIT’S FINE GOODS
Once you have all that Gamma Radiation, head over to Fixit’s Fine Goods to buy catalysts, crystal shards, and signature stones. Rewards are offered by title, with the highest level being Cavalier, so don’t worry, there are no Thronebreaker only rewards, at least for this month.
Here’s the big question – can I buy everything in the store? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
There is 2,372,500 Gamma worth of items in the store, so you can’t get them all. Make sure to prioritize your most desired items!
GAMMA GALORE SPEND EVENT
The more Gamma you spend, the more rewards you earn! As you spend Gamma Radiation you will contribute to a special solo event. You need to spend at least 1.5m Gamma (remember you can earn up to 1.9m) to complete the event. This event includes a 5-Star Awakening Generic Gem and a 5-Star Featured Hero Crystal.

ROOT MECHANIC
Finally, there is a new game mechanic being introduced in this event called Root.
When Rooted, a champion can’t move. They can still attack, Dex, parry, and use specials, but there will be no lateral movement from those actions. Each day in Shadow Base Raids, Root will be paired with a Global Buff to test interactions. Legendary will be more difficult and has an extra layer added to the buff.
Share your thoughts on Root on the official forums.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We’ll have to see how difficult the Shadow Raids are for the rewards, and the impact of the Root Mechanic could be huge on how well the month goes. That being said, store-based events are usually very popular because players love to choose their own rewards. I’m also a big fan of putting the special currency in content we’re already doing like the EQ and Arenas, to give players more options to feel rewarded. The Solo Event adds a nice touch to the event, especially because the Generic Awakening Gem will be accessible to Uncollected players.
-Dano357
Around The Battlerealm – November 4, 2020
Summoners!
Here’s your Marvel Contest of Champions news brief for Wednesday, November 4, 2020.
Schedule Notes: October events conclude and November events begin at 1pm EST.

Kabam shared the details and announced the participants for the Summoner Showdown Semi-Finals.
Seatin shared a CCP preview of Immortal Hulk.
Karatemike tests out the newly buffed Gambit.
-Dano357
Champion Release Schedules – Immortal Hulk and Immortal Abomination

Summoners!
If you are looking to acquire either of the November releases in Marvel Contest of Champions, Immortal Hulk and Immortal Abomination, here are some important dates to mark on your calendar. Please note that Kabam can make changes to the Arena and Basic Pool release schedules, and all these dates are based off my understanding of their champion release process.
Immortal Hulk
11/12/20 – 1st Arena
12/15/20 – 6-Star Featured Crystal
1/12/21 – 5-Star Featured Crystal
3/23/21 – Basic Pool (Projected)
3/23/21 – 6-Star Basic Pool
5/20/21 – 4-Star Basic Arena
Immortal Abomination
11/26/20 – 1st Arena
1/12/21 – 5-Star Featured Crystal
3/23/21 – 6-Star Featured Crystal
4/6/21 – Basic Pool (Projected)
6/3/21 – 4-Star Basic Arena
6/29/21 – 6-Star Basic Pool
-Dano357
Around The Battlerealm – November 3, 2020
Summoners!
Here’s your Marvel Contest of Champions news brief for Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
Schedule Notes: Guardian is scheduled to enter the Basic Pool at 1pm EST, please confirm via the in-game banner. The Alpha Arena begins at 6pm EST.

Kabam posted Champion Spotlights for Immortal Hulk and Immortal Abomination.
Gambit’s prowess has been reduced from 40% to 30%. Read Kabam Miike’s comment on the change.
Seatin tested out the Gambit and Falcon buffs.
-Dano357
Chapter Guide – Act 2.4.3 – Revealed – 4-Star Emma Frost to Rank 4
Summoners!
Here’s my guide for Act 2.4.3 “Revealed” in Marvel Contest of Champions.

General Thoughts:
This quest has 3 paths and ups the defender diversity a bit, making for a little more of a challenge for progressing players.
During this quest my 4-Star Emma Frost reached Rank 4, making her my first Rank 4 4-Star Champion.
If you have questions about the basic attack moves and combos in Marvel Contest of Champions, please check out my MCOC 101: Combos guide.
Best Champs: Any
Restrictions: Need 1 Science, 1 Mutant, 1 Cosmic
Global Node: None
Boss: Hawkeye
Boss Notes: Just a regular Hawkeye, nothing to worry about.
Lane 1 – Left
Gate: None
Defenders: Ronin, Mephisto, Captain America Infinity War, Falcon, Joe Fixit, The Hood, Moon Knight
Nodes: None
Team: 5-Star Hulk, 5-Star Captain America Infinity War, 4-Star Emma Frost, 4-Star Drax, 3-Star Guardian
Tips: This is a fairly easy path, particularly because Mephisto is not awakened.
Lane 2 – Center
Gate: Need 1 Science & 1 Mutant
Defenders: Ronin, Masacre, Falcon, Squirrel Girl, Miles Morales, Moon Knight
Nodes: None
Team: 5-Star Hulk, 5-Star Captain America Infinity War, 4-Star Emma Frost, 4-Star Drax, 3-Star Guardian
Tips: This is the hard path. Be wary of Masacre’s SP2 and Squirrel Girl’s bleed attacks. You may want a Bleed-Immune champion for that fight.
Lane 3 – Right
Gate: Need 1 Cosmic
Defenders: Ronin, Captain America World War 2, Guillotine, Falcon, Ghost Rider, Miles Morales, Moon Knight
Nodes: None
Team: 5-Star Hulk, 5-Star Captain America Infinity War, 4-Star Emma Frost, 4-Star Drax, 3-Star Guardian
Tips: Watch for Miles Morales’ green evade charges.
My Roster:

Jump To:
Act 2.3.6 – “Whispers” – Rhino Charge!
Act 2.4.1 – “Benefactor” – Level 28
Act 2.4.2 – “Purpose” – Class Gates
Act 2.4.3 – “Revealed” – 4-Star Emma Frost to Rank 4
Act 2.4.4 – “Two Maniacs” – Mighty Colossus
Act 2.4.5 – “Nearer” – Emma Frost to 4/40
Act 2.4.6 – “Conquered” – Kang Defeated
Act 3.1.1 – “A New Foe” – Thanos
-Dano357
Around The Battlerealm – November 2, 2020
Summoners!
Here’s your Marvel Contest of Champions news brief for Monday, November 2, 2020.
Schedule Notes: Round 2 of the 4-Star Basic Taskmaster and Punisher 2099 Featured Arenas at 1pm EST. Summoner Sigil Owners, your Solo Event, Gold Quest, and items on a 7-day timer and Legendary Crystal in the Black-ISO Market reset at 1pm EST. Incursions Milestones reset at 2pm EST. UMCOC Podcast, Live on Discord at 8pm EST.

Check out Episode 39 of the Contest Realm Podcast with RichTheMan.
Its water versus fire when Kingslayer pits Namor against Sunspot in a damage race.
-Dano357