The Case For and Against More Obscure Characters

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 9, 2024 12 Views 7 Min Read
The Case For and Against More Obscure Characters



As its name suggests, one of a hero shooter’s most important elements is its roster of playable characters. To stand out in a fairly crowded market, new hero shooters need to ship with a compelling cast of characters, each boasting a distinct visual design and a wealth of unique in-game abilities that are genuinely fun to use and useful in a variety of combat scenarios. Marvel Rivals has one such roster.




In using pre-established characters that are already immensely popular, Marvel Rivals‘ roster has a clear and immediate edge over its hero shooter competition. But while developer NetEase could have played it safe and filled Marvel Rivals‘ roster with instantly recognizable characters, it instead struck a nice balance between iconic and lesser-known heroes and villains. But with more characters on their way, there’s an argument both for and against Marvel Rivals continuing to add obscure characters.

Split image of Star-Lord, Black Widow, and Winter Soldier in Marvel Rivals

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The Case For Marvel Rivals To Add More Lesser-Known Heroes

Adding Lesser-Known Heroes Gives NetEase More Creative Freedom

The Marvel brand has become increasingly popular over the last decade thanks in large part to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As such, many newer Marvel fans now have a strong expectation of how certain characters should be portrayed, such as Tony Stark being a Robert Downey Jr-esque wisecracker.


For developers like NetEase, there’s presumably pressure to meet these expectations with their own version of the characters, which is why Marvel Rivals‘ versions of many heroes will look and sound quite similar to their MCU counterparts. But when adding a character to the roster who isn’t as well-known, NetEase likely has much more creative freedom in how they approach the hero or villain. With fewer expectations, NetEase can experiment a bit more with a lesser-known hero’s abilities and backstory, which could lead to a more compelling and distinct version of the character.

Adding Lesser-Known Heroes Gives Them a Rare Spotlight

Another argument for adding more obscure heroes and villains to Marvel Rivals is that it would give them a rare chance in the spotlight. The Marvel universe is vast, and every fan has their own personal favorite character. Some fans’ favorite character will be an obscure one who isn’t often represented in most Marvel media, and Marvel Rivals could finally give them their time to shine. This would be especially beneficial for those lesser-known Marvel characters who likely won’t get a full game all to themselves.


The Case Against Marvel Rivals Adding More Lesser-Known Heroes

Marvel Rival leak reveals a new image of Human Torch.

NetEase Needs to Appeal to the Widest Audience Possible

But while it’s great to see lesser-known heroes and villains get the spotlight, it unfortunately might not be in Marvel Rivals‘ best interest. As a live-service multiplayer game, Marvel Rivals lives and dies by its player count.

While Marvel Rivals‘ current player count is very high, it’s been proven time and time again that live-service games can see a dramatic drop-off in the months following their launch. To avoid this potential drop-off, Marvel Rivals needs to keep as much of its player-base on board as possible, and one way to do that is by delivering additional heroes and villains that most players already know and care about.

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