u/Longjumping_Ad1469

Summary : It's been established since S1 that the 'Present Timeline' we follow in Rivals is meant to be an adjacent Future of 616 comics

(With now over 33 characters in the playable roster resided, had already experienced their comic roots & history up till 2023s in-game )

I assume this is one of the reason why they didn't add her in-game model yet. Netease wanted to adapt the best version of herself along with Devil Dino. Ageing her 616 self would deviate the main appeal of her character.

(Also the comic cover is from her 2022 min- run)

Looking back at these skins 7 seasons in after her selection had grown. I personally theorise that the inclusion of similar design patterns ( Shoulder Pads, Cottails, & Exposed thighs) are deliberate choices by the devs to accommodate her "Form-Switching" gimmick in a gameplay perspective:

—1.] They prob follow this philosophy in hopes that both teams from either sides are able to distinguish between her regular model and 'Diamond form' during combat ( hence, the Exposed thighs of each outfit being a good visual indicator of the transformation, especially spectating at farther distances)

–2.] The Devs initially prioritzed towards making her outfit much more sleeker in order to prevent disrupting not just the player's vision but also the model's animation when brawling in 'Diamond form' (Possibly the reason why they added Shoulder pads & Cottails, to compensate for the lack of Capes while maintaining her presence of bulk for her Vanguard status)

—3.] Her disitinct WWE motif might be used as a leeway to properly adapt her 'Diamond form' in a 3rd person POV. Especially when considering the fact she's the first Hero released in the game to priorize a 'Form-Switching' gimmick implemented in part of her neutral kit ( Thus, the devs mades sure it brings a satisfying gameplay loop, whilst also allowing fans to appreciate the beauty of her Diamond form.)

TL;DR: The Dev's design philosophy of prioritising the execution of her 'Diamond form' gimmick to each outfit in gameplay ultimately hindered the variety of unique fashion options for Emma Frost till quite recently.

If you had read this far for my speculation, T

Established since S1 Gallery cards, we found out the 'Present Timeline' we follow in game turns out to be an adjacent future of The 616 comics.

—The crazier thing is that a whopping 31/48 of the roster resided in this reality, including MK himself....

—The thing is, Devs are actually consistent on which characters are from this reality ( With most dialogue who references their comic event often came from characters who actually resided here)

—This implies that notable comic runs like his Og run, Lemire Run & potentially the Jed Mckay run applies to Rivals ..... The fact that he isn't acting like his 616 self and the fact that he doesn't fight like a brawler despite his lore in-game made me realize..... This ain't an oversight by the Netease. This is Deliberate.

_Im not too caught up with MK, but what exactly happened in the last MK run after Mckay?

If you didn't know: The main 'Present Timeline' in-game is written to be an adjacent alt future of the 616 comics. Where characters resided have already established their comic book history & growth up till 2023.

— Rivals Emma is also part of this reality. Which means that she experience both her appearance in not just AvX (2012) but also from Endsong (2005), where she was first hosted by the Phoenix.

— Reading the game's lore pages & dialogue actually change on how I view this skin & why it looked the way it is ( And I think Netease did a wonderful job for adding continuity)

Context: 'The Present Timeline' is the main reality we follow in-game. An adjacent future/adaptation of 616 comics where characters retained their origins, history & growth, up until 2023 (where Rivals presumably began in early development).

Thus creating their own original story events in hopes to celebrate the essence of Marvel Comics whilst making a unique spin of it in efforts to shape an identity, which started with the events of S0.