Things That Set Marvel Rivals Apart From Overwatch 2

Key Takeaways

• Character bans provide strategic gameplay, setting
  Marvel Rivals
  apart from
  Overwatch
  .
• Marvel Rivals
  leverages established Marvel IP for gameplay and fan engagement.
• The game’s 6v6 team size, lack of role queue, and destructible environments offer unique gameplay.

Marvel Rivals is the latest hero shooter, following in the footsteps of prior titles such as Overwatch and Team Fortress 2. Set in an undetermined Marvel universe, Marvel Rivals allows players to take control of any of the 33 Marvel characters in the game, each categorized by their roles. Players compete against each other in teams of 6 in order to win games based on completing a central objective.

While the genre is nothing new, many players have compared Marvel Rivals to its modern genre contemporary, Overwatch 2. It is safe to say that Marvel Rivals offers some distinct differences. While both games share a genre and a core concept, many smaller details set these games apart and make Marvel Rivals a unique title that plays differently from its hero shooter peers.

6 Character Ban Picks

The Chance To Ban An OP Character

The first Overwatch title offered seasonal character bans, locking some of the character pool each competitive season in order to change the meta. Overwatch 2, however, does not utilize this feature and all characters are available in competitive matches, with no opportunity for character-specific bans.

Marvel Rivals offers a variation on the ban system, allowing players above Diamond 3 to pick bans. Each game begins with a ban phase, allowing each team to pick a character to ban for the duration of that game. This means that particularly overpowered or annoying characters can be restricted from play, offering a unique element of strategy to the game and preventing the meta from becoming saturated with the same team combinations match after match.

5 Use Of Established IP

A Wealth Of Marvel Content To Build Off Of

Overwatch and its sequel, Overwatch 2, are built upon an entirely independent and unique lore setting. Overwatch is an original IP, with each character requiring a backstory and explanation as to where they belong in the ever-expanding narrative. Marvel Rivals does not share this trait, utilizing characters who are already established in the Marvel universe.

This difference is apparent, especially when considering the character count at launch and the plan to add many more characters in the future. Marvel Rivals will likely surpass the character count of Overwatch 2 quickly, given that inspirations and concepts already exist for Marvel Rivals. It also means that Marvel fans, in particular, are far more likely to be engaged by Marvel Rivals. Whilst both games have distinct and unique settings, Marvel Rivals certainly has a more established and sizable canon to draw from.

4 Team Size

6v6 Rather Than 5v5

While Overwatch initially had teams of six players, allowing for two tanks on every squad, by the time Overwatch 2 came around, the game had reduced the team size to five players. This means that only one tank is played, with the other slots taken by two support heroes and two DPS.

Marvel Rivals offers team sizes of six. Despite being only one additional player, this means that the gameplay feels incredibly distinct from Overwatch 2. Teams of six players offer far more freedom with character picks and team compositions, a fact made especially prevalent by the lack of role queue in Marvel Rivals.

3 No Role Queue

Entirely Free-form Team Composition

Role queue is a system that was introduced early on in the lifespan of Overwatch. This system would carry over into Overwatch 2 and remains a core element of matchmaking. The role queue system in Overwatch 2 allows players to queue for a specific role, also ensuring every team has one tank, two support, and two DPS.

Marvel Rivals currently does not have a role queue. This means that players can utilize any combination of roles in their matches, offering far more freedom and opportunity for strategy. This, coupled with there being six players per team, ensures that the core gameplay of Marvel Rivals is consistently very different from Overwatch 2. Time will tell if this freedom remains intact, but currently, Marvel Rivals offers a large variety in team composition game-to-game.

2 Destructible Environments

Level Entire Buildings

Hero shooters such as Overwatch or Marvel Rivals are often defined by two equally important features: The characters, and the maps. While the characters in these titles are often front and center, the maps are crucial to the flow of gameplay.

Marvel Rivals offers an incredibly unique feature for the genre, allowing for a significant amount of map destruction befitting its superpowered heroes. This element has the ability to change the flow of a match, opening up new sightlines or entirely destroying others. While most high-level matches involve players completely destroying all destructible elements on the map, the feature is still incredibly unique and offers another layer of depth to the gameplay.

1 Team-Ups

Entirely New Abilities From Synergizing

Hero shooters, especially Overwatch 2, are known for their character synergies. These are often strategies that benefit from two or more characters using their abilities together in order to gain a unique advantage in the match. Examples include the use of Zarya’s ultimate paired with an offensive ultimate, like Hanzo’s, in order to gather enemies together and pin them in place, and then eliminate them in a short window. Despite these known synergies, Overwatch 2 does not include actual mechanical synergies.

Marvel Rivals builds upon the concept of character synergies to a massive extent. The game features a system known as team-ups. These are fully fleshed-out mechanics in-game that allow certain characters to provide tangible benefits to one another if synergizing. For example, the Allied Agents team-up allows Hawkeye to share his ultimate ability with Black Widow. These team-ups often play on lore connections, such as Rocket Raccoon being able to ride on the shoulders of Groot, given their companionship in Marvel canon. These elements are incredibly innovative and offer dozens of unique gameplay opportunities.