Marvel Rivals’ Skins Have Started Well, But Can’t Follow Overwatch 2

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 8, 2024 17 Views 8 Min Read
Marvel Rivals’ Skins Have Started Well, But Can’t Follow Overwatch 2



Over the last few years, cosmetics have gradually become an ingrained part of the gaming world, especially in the live-service multiplayer genre. Cosmetics are often the best compromise between letting the developers maintain a consistent flow of income while not interfering with the actual mechanics or balancing of a game, thus being completely optional purchases. Marvel Rivals has more than its fair share of optional, paid cosmetics at launch.




Developer NetEase is fully embracing Marvel Rivals‘ premise, particularly when it comes to the multiplayer game’s bevy of alternate costumes. On launch day, players can discover a wealth of cosmetics inspired by all corners of the Marvel multimedia universe, from beloved comic runs to MCU movie appearances. It’s a really great start, but it’s going to be tricky for Marvel Rivals to keep all of its fans happy when it comes to cosmetics, something that Overwatch 2 has learned over the last two years.

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Marvel Rivals’ Cosmetics Need to Stay on the Right Track

Marvel Rivals’ Roster Is Being Treated Equally When It Comes to Cosmetics

At launch, each one of Marvel Rivals‘ 33 playable heroes has at least two alternate skins (aside from Moon Knight) that players can unlock from either the Season 0 Battle Pass, the in-game store, or by completing specific achievements. While every character has an alternate outfit that’s a fairly simple color palette swap, the other day-one cosmetic(s) is much more distinct, often being inspired by a specific Marvel comic book appearance or by an MCU design.


Of course, some characters have another one or two additional outfits, such as Spider-Man, Hela, and Hawkeye, but for the most part, everyone on the roster is treated equally on launch day. This approach is great to see, as when it comes to Marvel characters, every fan has their favorite. Ensuring everyone on the roster has at least a handful of skins each means every fan’s favorite character is catered for, and every player is thus incentivized to keep grinding to unlock their alternate outfits.

Marvel Rivals Can’t Fall Into Overwatch 2’s Cosmetic Pitfall

But Marvel Rivals‘ roster might not stay equal for long if it falls into the same trap that Overwatch 2 has frequently found itself in. Since Overwatch 2‘s launch in October 2022, it’s become apparent that Blizzard seems to prefer creating cosmetics for a certain handful of heroes. This is especially evident when looking at Overwatch 2‘s last few crossovers.


Reinhardt has been one of the most obvious examples of Blizzard’s favoritism. Reinhardt was front and center of the Transformers, World of Warcraft, and My Hero Academia collaborations. Kiriko is often cited as another main offender, with her receiving multiple new skins recently. In the recently leaked Overwatch 2 x Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover, Kiriko is set to receive another skin, which is already drawing criticism for potentially appearing in place of a Katara-inspired outfit.

While heroes like Kiriko, Reinhardt, Mercy, Widowmaker, Ashe, and Genji all receive new high-rarity skins at a frequent rate, much of the roster is left in the dust. Naturally, if a player’s favorite character is one of those unlucky lot who have been left behind, it’s not going to incentivize them to keep playing, as they’ve likely already unlocked all the outfits available to them. Marvel Rivals needs to make sure it’s not favoring the same handful of heroes every season.

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