Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
San Diego, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, San Diego Ballroom
Marvel Contest of Champions welcomed players into the Battlerealm during San Diego Comic-Con 2026 with a four-day activation inside the Marvel x Moonrock Gaming Lounge. Located in the San Diego Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, the experience ran from Thursday, July 23, through Sunday, July 26. Unlike most activities held inside the convention center, the lounge was accessible without an SDCC badge, opening the event to local Marvel fans as well as convention attendees.
Visitors could step away from the crowded exhibition halls to play at dedicated stations and meet members of the Kabam development team. Demonstrations, timed challenges, daily tournaments, collectible giveaways and conversations with the developers transformed the lounge into a meeting place for veteran Summoners and newcomers discovering the mobile fighting game.
At the center of the activation was Towers, the latest mode introduced to Marvel Contest of Champions. Players faced a succession of increasingly challenging defenders while attempting to reach the top of a combat ladder. Before starting, participants selected their attackers and considered how each Champion’s abilities, class relationships and strengths would respond to the opponents ahead.
The mode drew on the mechanics that have supported the game since its release on December 10, 2014. Battles combine light, medium and heavy attacks with blocking, dashing, dodging and character-specific special moves. Team selection adds another strategic layer, while Towers concentrates these systems into a timed sequence in which a poor matchup, unnecessary damage or mistimed special attack can affect the entire run.
For experienced players, success required more than speed. Efficient runs depended on knowledge of abilities, counters, team composition and damage management. Newcomers could nevertheless engage quickly thanks to the touch-based controls and immediately recognizable one-on-one combat. Towers therefore worked both as an accessible introduction and as a meaningful test for established competitors.
Players looking for a greater challenge could attempt a high-difficulty version of the demonstration. The four fastest participants of each day qualified for an onstage tournament. The first-ranked player faced the fourth seed in one semifinal, while the second and third seeds competed in the other. The winners then raced through the Tower in a final deciding who could reach the top first.
A champion was crowned on each of the four days. The format was easy for spectators to follow: complete the same challenge before the opposing player. Behind that simple objective, every choice mattered. Selecting the correct attacker, avoiding damage and activating special moves at the right time could save the seconds separating victory from elimination.
The races also showed how effectively Marvel Contest of Champions could translate into a live competitive event. Although designed around touchscreen combat, Towers generated suspense through visible progress and direct comparison. Spectators did not need detailed knowledge of every ability to see when a finalist gained ground or lost time during a difficult encounter.
The activation continued Kabam’s exploration of in-person competition. Battlegrounds, its competitive one-versus-one mode, arrived in 2022, followed by the live Battlerealm Brawl tournament in 2023. Towers offered a different approach at SDCC 2026: instead of drafting Champions against another player, competitors raced through an identical challenge under pressure from the clock.
Every visitor who played received an exclusive collectible pin and the opportunity to spin a prize wheel featuring physical prizes and in-game rewards. A different character was featured each day: Spider-Man Noir on Thursday, Doctor Strange on Friday, Stellar-Forged Green Goblin on Saturday and Hulk on Sunday. The rotating selection encouraged collectors to return throughout the weekend and attempt to complete the set.
Players who displayed their Marvel Contest of Champions account could also obtain an exclusive in-game profile picture, linking their presence in San Diego to their identity inside the game. An additional social-media activity offered another reward to participants who completed the required posting and account-tagging steps.
Kabam team members remained available throughout the event to explain Towers, answer questions and speak directly with players. This contact added an important human dimension to an activation built around a long-running live-service title. Visitors were able to test the mode while sharing their reactions with some of the people involved in the game’s continuing development.
San Diego, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, San Diego Ballroom
Marvel Contest of Champions welcomed players into the Battlerealm during San Diego Comic-Con 2026 with a four-day activation inside the Marvel x Moonrock Gaming Lounge. Located in the San Diego Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, the experience ran from Thursday, July 23, through Sunday, July 26. Unlike most activities held inside the convention center, the lounge was accessible without an SDCC badge, opening the event to local Marvel fans as well as convention attendees.
Visitors could step away from the crowded exhibition halls to play at dedicated stations and meet members of the Kabam development team. Demonstrations, timed challenges, daily tournaments, collectible giveaways and conversations with the developers transformed the lounge into a meeting place for veteran Summoners and newcomers discovering the mobile fighting game.
At the center of the activation was Towers, the latest mode introduced to Marvel Contest of Champions. Players faced a succession of increasingly challenging defenders while attempting to reach the top of a combat ladder. Before starting, participants selected their attackers and considered how each Champion’s abilities, class relationships and strengths would respond to the opponents ahead.
The mode drew on the mechanics that have supported the game since its release on December 10, 2014. Battles combine light, medium and heavy attacks with blocking, dashing, dodging and character-specific special moves. Team selection adds another strategic layer, while Towers concentrates these systems into a timed sequence in which a poor matchup, unnecessary damage or mistimed special attack can affect the entire run.
For experienced players, success required more than speed. Efficient runs depended on knowledge of abilities, counters, team composition and damage management. Newcomers could nevertheless engage quickly thanks to the touch-based controls and immediately recognizable one-on-one combat. Towers therefore worked both as an accessible introduction and as a meaningful test for established competitors.
Players looking for a greater challenge could attempt a high-difficulty version of the demonstration. The four fastest participants of each day qualified for an onstage tournament. The first-ranked player faced the fourth seed in one semifinal, while the second and third seeds competed in the other. The winners then raced through the Tower in a final deciding who could reach the top first.
A champion was crowned on each of the four days. The format was easy for spectators to follow: complete the same challenge before the opposing player. Behind that simple objective, every choice mattered. Selecting the correct attacker, avoiding damage and activating special moves at the right time could save the seconds separating victory from elimination.
The races also showed how effectively Marvel Contest of Champions could translate into a live competitive event. Although designed around touchscreen combat, Towers generated suspense through visible progress and direct comparison. Spectators did not need detailed knowledge of every ability to see when a finalist gained ground or lost time during a difficult encounter.
The activation continued Kabam’s exploration of in-person competition. Battlegrounds, its competitive one-versus-one mode, arrived in 2022, followed by the live Battlerealm Brawl tournament in 2023. Towers offered a different approach at SDCC 2026: instead of drafting Champions against another player, competitors raced through an identical challenge under pressure from the clock.
Every visitor who played received an exclusive collectible pin and the opportunity to spin a prize wheel featuring physical prizes and in-game rewards. A different character was featured each day: Spider-Man Noir on Thursday, Doctor Strange on Friday, Stellar-Forged Green Goblin on Saturday and Hulk on Sunday. The rotating selection encouraged collectors to return throughout the weekend and attempt to complete the set.
Players who displayed their Marvel Contest of Champions account could also obtain an exclusive in-game profile picture, linking their presence in San Diego to their identity inside the game. An additional social-media activity offered another reward to participants who completed the required posting and account-tagging steps.
Kabam team members remained available throughout the event to explain Towers, answer questions and speak directly with players. This contact added an important human dimension to an activation built around a long-running live-service title. Visitors were able to test the mode while sharing their reactions with some of the people involved in the game’s continuing development.
