Marvel Rivals is Side-Stepping One of Overwatch 2’s Biggest Launch Issues

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 5, 2024 22 Views 8 Min Read
Marvel Rivals is Side-Stepping One of Overwatch 2’s Biggest Launch Issues



The hero shooter genre has seen many games come and go over the years, many of which have lasted just a few months before being shut down due to low player counts. Just like any other genre that relies on the live-service model, hero shooters need to make sure they have the right monetization strategy from day-one, and that’s something Overwatch 2 struggled with.




When the first Overwatch released in 2016, it retailed for $40. At the time, this was a reasonable price for a multiplayer-only title, especially one offering a novel gameplay experience. Flash forward six years and Blizzard decides to release Overwatch 2 as a free-to-play title, significantly changing the game’s approach to monetization. As such, Overwatch 2‘s October 2022 launch was fraught with criticism, the type of criticism that Marvel Rivals will likely avoid completely.

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Marvel Rivals Is Avoiding a Major Issue From Overwatch 2’s Launch

Overwatch 2’s First Monetization Model Was Very Controversial

When Overwatch 2 first launched into early access in October 2022, it made some controversial decisions regarding its monetization practices. While the sequel would be completely free-to-play, most of its progression systems would now revolve around a Battle Pass. An immediate criticism levied at Overwatch 2 was that new heroes would be locked behind this premium Battle Pass, requiring players to spend real-world cash to unlock new characters.


Another major criticism of this new Battle Pass approach was that Overwatch 2 had completely removed loot boxes in favor of it. While loot boxes were a fairly controversial aspect of the original game, their removal wasn’t viewed as a positive thing. Instead, Overwatch 2‘s removal of loot boxes essentially removed players’ ability to unlock skins without spending money.

Thankfully, Overwatch 2‘s monetization practices have been revised a few times since the game’s 2022 launch. All heroes are now unlocked for all players without the need to purchase Battle Passes or special currencies, and players are able to unlock a nice range of skins for their heroes by earning in-game currency via gameplay. But those initial criticisms are hard to forget.

How Marvel Rivals Is Side-Stepping Overwatch 2’s Original Monetization Problems

Marvel Rivals seems to be avoiding Overwatch 2‘s monetization issues from the get-go. For a start, developer NetEase has confirmed that all 33 launch heroes will be immediately unlocked for free, and any heroes that are added in future updates will also be completely free. The same is true for any new maps and modes that are in added in future seasons.


The only thing Marvel Rivals is putting a price tag on is cosmetics, and even that approach is as reasonable as it can be. Players will be able to unlock a free Battle Pass every season that grants them new skins, MVP cinematics, and other cosmetic goodies. Players have the option to purchase a Luxury Battle Pass to unlock additional rewards, all of which are cosmetic and don’t affect gameplay at all.

Once a Luxury Battle Pass has been purchased, players will be able to keep working on it even after the season ends, eliminating the time pressure found in fellow live-service titles like Fortnite. Players will also be able to earn a range of free skins and cosmetics by completing Marvel Rivals‘ events and unlocking the game’s achievements. They’ll also be able to gradually earn the currency (Lattices) needed to purchase premium cosmetic bundles.

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