Marvel Rivals’ Hawkeye Can’t Follow His Overwatch Counterpart’s Footsteps

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 23, 2024 2 Views 9 Min Read
Marvel Rivals’ Hawkeye Can’t Follow His Overwatch Counterpart’s Footsteps

Marvel Rivals is just around the corner, and the pace of major announcements has picked up accordingly. Of course, the addition of new heroes is undoubtedly going to be some of the most exciting news. Most recently, Marvel Rivals has revealed Hawkeye as the next playable character to join the game’s roster.




Marvel Rivals‘ full roster will feature 33 playable characters when it launches on December 6. With the recent reveal of Hawkeye, the number of characters that have been officially revealed has now climbed to 28. Hawkeye bears a natural resemblance to Hanzo from Overwatch, but this connection could have some troubling implications that Marvel Rivals should really try to avoid.

Marvel Rivals Hawkeye

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What to Expect From Marvel Rivals’ Hawkeye

Marvel Rivals has officially confirmed that Hawkeye will be joining the hero shooter’s launch roster, and his abilities have already been revealed.

Marvel Rivals Shouldn’t Let Hawkeye Become the Next Hanzo

Some Marvel Rivals Heroes Should Feel Familiar to Overwatch Fans

Marvel Rivals has already released a few heroes that appear to be inspired by some counterparts in Overwatch. More accurately, since the two games are in the same genre, there are simply some popular character archetypes that are bound to reappear. Namor may have a “turret” building style similar to Torbjorn, but he has a completely unique identity otherwise. The same can be said for Marvel Rivals‘ Hulk design compared to that of D.Va from Overwatch, and so on and so forth.


In this regard, Hawkeye is no exception. Of course, as the designated archer of the cast, Hawkeye was always going to draw comparisons with Hanzo. However, this comparison could turn into a cause for concern. After all, Hanzo was very often a formidable opponent, even to the point of becoming an early and ongoing controversy for Overwatch.

Hanzo’s Place in Overwatch’s Meta Could Be a Cautionary Tale for Marvel Rivals

Hanzo is a sniper in the same vein as Widowmaker, and this role is certainly a double-edged sword. Players who can fight from a distance or take on airborne opponents will always be necessary in the hero shooter genre. On the other hand, they can often prove to be a nuisance, regardless of how good or bad they are in a given patch. Unfortunately, Hanzo’s place in Overwatch‘s meta was just one small part of a large and volatile picture, with many other characters shifting in and out of the meta.


Hanzo has an exceptionally solid kit, not only giving him the ability to deal significant damage, but to provide support to his team all the while. As Overwatch Classic has reminded everyone recently, the original game was practically the Wild West when it came to balancing. Hanzo has been relatively less problematic in Overwatch 2‘s lifespan, although he has also been less relevant. This hints at the balance Marvel Rivals should try to strike with Hawkeye, or risk running into the same pitfalls as the early days of Overwatch.

Hawkeye Feels Familiar But Fresh in Marvel Rivals

Hawkeye may appear similar to Hanzo at a glance, but his kit has more than enough unique qualities to set itself apart. For example, two of Hanzo’s defining abilities are his Wall Climb and Sonic Arrow, both of which Hawkeye has no equivalent for. More importantly, some of Hawkeye’s own abilities are wholly original, and could help him avoid meeting the same fate as Hanzo.


Hunter’s Sight is a particularly interesting case, which allows Hawkeye to visualize Afterimages of his opponents. Striking the Afterimage will do direct damage to the corresponding enemy, which should definitely help Hawkeye to stop any foes that try to flee. Moreover, Hawkeye has a few different melee moves, which means he’s encouraged to play in more vulnerable situations than Hanzo is. Hawkeye’s Skyward Leap is remarkably similar to Hanzo’s Lunge, but this simply goes to show the strength of their shared archetype.

Ironically, the biggest similarity between the two heroes is also the source of their greatest difference. Both Hawkeye and Hanzo wield a bow, but the mechanics of Hawkeye’s archery have one key difference. Hawkeye can only get full charge on an arrow when he is directly aiming at an opponent, which prevents players from keeping max damage stored at all times. This is a reasonable nerf for any DPS, and shows that Marvel Rivals developers may have already anticipated the kind of reputation that Hawkeye needs to avoid.

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