Marvel Snap’s latest season, The Amazing Spider-Season, has officially kicked off, marking the end of the Young Avengers Season. Typically, seasons inMarvel Snapbegin and conclude on the first Monday of each month, and this season is expected to end on October 1. The Spider-Man-themed event introduces new cards, exclusive cosmetics, and fresh locations. In addition to a Ranked reset, Second Dinner is also unveiling the Activate ability.
Activate is the seventh ability in the deck-based card game, joining the existing six: On Reveal, Ongoing, No Ability, Discard, Move, and Destroy. As the first new ability introduced toMarvel Snapsince its launch, Activate has the potential to be a game-changer. While its uniqueness might initially confuse some players, understanding how it works will be essential for climbing the Ranked ladder.
How The Activate Ability Works in Marvel Snap
Marvel Snap’s New Activate Mechanic Has the Potential to Redefine Gameplay
Nicki Broderick, Senior Marketing Manager for Second Dinner, stated that Activate “promises to add a whole new layer of strategy” to the game. While many players are eager to see more cards that introduce deliberate strategic elements, others appreciate the element ofrandomness inMarvel Snap,citing that it keeps the game from being dominated by overpowered decks. Interestingly, despite being a new mechanic, Activate does not fundamentally alter the way existing cards function.
Introduced withthe Amazing Spider-Man Season, Activate lets players control when a card’s effect triggers. However, it cannot be activated in the same round a card is played and is only usable between rounds two and five. Players can trigger this ability by right-clicking on PC or long-pressing on mobile until the “Activated!” message appears.
The following cards with this keyword include, but are not necessarily limited to:
Arana
1-1
Give the next card you play +2 Power and move it to the right.
4-5
Symbiote Spider-Man
4-6
Merge your lowest-Cost card here with this. Copy its text like it just revealed.
Key Rules for Using Activate in Marvel Snap
Likened to an on-demandversion of the On Reveal ability, Activate allows players to switch on effects when the player deems the conditions are right. When an Activate card is placed on the board, its stats will be visible, but the effect will only occur once triggered. The main rules for Activate are as follows:
“Activate cards' effects can only be triggered once per game.”
Intriguingly, Second Dinner has announced that existing cards such as Black Swan and Hellcow will be reworked to include the new Activate abilities, with more potential updates to come. Additionally, the player base has suggested that cards like Zabu, Nico Minoru, and War Machine could also receive an Activate rework. Given the new mechanic’s immediateimpact on Movement decks, it appears that Activate is set to make a lasting impression.
