Alchemax Headquarters 18v18 is the large-team version of the futuristic Marvel Rivals map, added to the Annihilation playlist with Season 10.5 on October 9, 2026. That means thirty-six players in one match, with eighteen on each side, rather than the smaller Doom Match version that has been playable since May.
If the name sounds familiar, you’re not imagining it. Alchemax Headquarters first arrived as a Doom Match location back on May 28. The latest patch expands where it can be played, and the larger team size makes the old interior corners, garden approaches and high routes considerably more dangerous. Here’s how to find the new playlist and what to expect once you’re inside.
How to play Alchemax Headquarters 18v18
- Install the October 9 Season 10.5 Marvel Rivals update.
- Open the game’s mode selection and switch to 18 VS.18 / Annihilation, not standard Competitive, Quick Match or the Path to Doomsday 2v2 event.
- Queue for the large-team playlist. Alchemax Headquarters is part of the new map rotation; the patch does not say it is guaranteed in every match.
- Once the map loads, pay attention to the large interior spaces, surrounding garden and higher sightlines. With 36 players, unsupported solo flanks can end very quickly.
Alchemax Headquarters 18v18 uses the same setting introduced in Season 8, but the October addition is specifically its appearance in the 18v18 mode. NetEase doesn’t claim that Season 10.5 is a completely new Alchemax map or a new Convoy campaign.
Alchemax Headquarters 18v18 map areas
The official Alchemax map trailer highlights the Main Gene Lab, Babylon Garden and Infinity-Edge Pool. They’re useful landmarks for callouts because the research complex has multiple kinds of fighting space, from sterile indoor rooms to more exposed approaches overlooking Manhattan.
Main Gene Lab: tight corridors and crossfire
The Main Gene Lab is part of the central research complex. It’s the place to think about doorways, corners and overlapping enemy abilities rather than charging after a single low-health target. In Alchemax Headquarters 18v18, several opponents can attack the same entrance at once, so a team that commits one player at a time will struggle.
Bring a Vanguard forward to soak up attention, keep healing support within range and use corners to break incoming sightlines. Close-range Duelists have opportunities to finish opponents who push too far into the room, but diving into the middle of eighteen opponents isn’t a reliable plan.
Babylon Garden: cover and regrouping
Babylon Garden provides a more open contrast to the high-tech laboratory. Plants and landscaping create visual breaks and routes around the most obvious firing lanes. Treat it as a place to regroup and approach from different angles, rather than stacking everyone in the most open section.
When your party is losing the central engagement, turn back towards cover and wait for reinforcements. A coordinated side push is more useful than three or four disconnected players arriving at different times. A lot of the pressure on this Alchemax Headquarters 18v18 layout comes from sheer player density, not hidden tricks.
Infinity-Edge Pool: exposed approaches
The Infinity-Edge Pool looks out across the Manhattan skyline and gives the map a more open, elevated setting. Those longer sightlines are tempting for ranged attackers, but exposure works both ways: if you can clearly see much of the fighting below, enemies may be able to focus you too.
Move between solid cover and avoid staying on the same obvious perch after firing. Mobile heroes can use a side route to disturb an entrenched firing line, but they need teammates ready to exploit the opening. There is no evidence that the pool is a fixed Convoy checkpoint in Alchemax Headquarters 18v18, so don’t invent an objective location there.
Best tactics for Alchemax Headquarters 18v18
| When this happens | Try this |
|---|---|
| The team gets stuck at an indoor entrance | Use coordinated cover and area control to open a path. Stop feeding isolated players through the same doorway. |
| Your Strategists keep getting focused | Hold them behind cover with a retreat route, instead of clustering every support player in one visible spot. |
| Enemies dominate a roof or upper lane | Send mobile heroes to threaten a different angle while the rest of the team stays protected. |
| Several teammates chase one low-health opponent | Regroup rather than leaving an entire area uncovered. In 18v18, opponents can punish an empty flank quickly. |
| Large area attacks keep wiping the group | Spread the team’s positions and stagger the push. Dense groups make every big attack more valuable. |
These are broad tactics, not promises that one hero automatically wins the map. On Alchemax Headquarters 18v18, communication and surviving the initial burst matter more than forcing a favourite one-on-one duel into the middle of a huge team fight.
Is Alchemax Headquarters 18v18 a brand-new map?
No. Alchemax Headquarters originally launched on May 28, 2026 as a Doom Match map. NetEase’s October 9 Season 10.5 patch adds it to 18 VS.18. The environment and its named areas existed before this update; the notable change for returning players is the larger-team playlist.
That distinction matters when searching for the map. A pre-October guide may be describing the old Doom Match layout and victory conditions, while a guide titled Alchemax Headquarters 18v18 should address the new Annihilation queue. If you load into the wrong mode, the game isn’t necessarily missing the October update.
Why Alchemax Headquarters 18v18 isn’t appearing
- Wrong playlist: select the dedicated 18v18 mode, rather than Doom Match or Competitive.
- Map rotation: the update adds Alchemax to the playlist but doesn’t guarantee it on the next match.
- Outdated client: install the Season 10.5 patch and restart if the new playlist isn’t visible.
- Expecting a new map icon: Alchemax Headquarters has been part of the game since Season 8. The new feature is 18v18 support.
NetEase has not given Alchemax Headquarters 18v18 the October 22 Times Square event deadline or the December Infinity Finale deadline. Its 18v18 listing is a separate update addition, not a photo reward you need to claim before the promotion closes.
If you already know the Doom Match version, use that familiarity to navigate the lab and gardens. What needs adjusting on Alchemax Headquarters 18v18 is how carefully you approach crowded routes: protecting your backline and pushing together will usually do more than searching for imaginary new objectives.
Related Guides
Official source: Marvel Rivals Season 10.5 patch notes, NetEase Games.
