Marvel Rivals Characters That Match Your Favorite Overwatch Characters

Key Takeaways

• Marvel Rivals
  offers unique gameplay elements that set it apart from
  Overwatch 2.
• Characters like Magneto, Luna Snow, and Mantis share similarities with
  Overwatch
  heroes.
• The game features characters resembling
  Overwatch
  favorites like Pharah, Soldier: 76, and Widowmaker.

The newest hero shooter, Marvel Rivals, has already gained the reputation of being a replacement for Overwatch 2. Given the similar objective-based gameplay, a massive roster of characters, and the fact that the developers at NetEase Games used to be affiliated with Blizzard, it’s not hard to see why they are compared.

When it comes to the many Marvel heroes and villains to choose from, Marvel Rivals even has similar gameplay elements, as Overwatch-like characters are mixed in with new ones. Some are more noticeable than others, which is a good way for Overwatch players to get into Marvel Rivals by having a sense of familiarity with a character that might be similar to their favorite.

9 Magneto

Erik And Sigma Share Attitudes And Control Forces Of Nature

• Class: Vanguard
• Difficulty: 2/5
• First Appearance: X-Men #1

Magneto and Sigma share many of the same qualities, including their personalities, as they hover around with a pompous disposition as mighty Vanguard class characters. They use their power of manipulation to create power attacks, with one being a master of magnetism while the other is capable of manipulating gravity.

Both heroes can also protect their allies by projecting a shield. Magneto can shield a specific ally, whereas Sigma creates a singular barrier he can place anywhere in the environment. Even their ultimate abilities are similar, creating a terrifying threat from above as Magneto turns pieces of the environment into a meteor while Sigma raises the enemies themselves before plummeting them.

8 Luna Snow

She Is A Glamorous Pop Star Turned Hero Like Lucio

• Class: Strategist
• Difficulty: 2/5
• First Appearance: Marvel Future Fight

An international song artist turned superhero is a nearly identical concept to Lucio, but the comparisons don’t stop there. Luna Snow is also a healer who skates as she runs, with an aura that can heal her companions. However, Luna Snow’s aura is limited to her ultimate ability and, when it is active, she can swap the aura to grant extra movement speed, which Lucio can also do at any time.

Luna Snow does feature several differences from Lucio, such as direct healing through her ice darts as opposed to Lucio’s healing AoE. Also, if Luna marks one teammate with an idol, they continue to be healed while she is healing others. Both characters skate around, but Luna cannot skate across surfaces like Lucio can. However, she is capable of higher jumps.

7 Cloak & Dagger

Moira Found Her Match In Two Characters

• Class: Strategist
• Difficulty: ?/5
• First Appearance: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #64

Cloak & Dagger are a powerful Strategist character who can keep a whole team alive with Dagger’s healing abilities, but if the team needs to act aggressively, Cloak can siphon the health of an enemy quickly. The mix of healing and damage is akin to Moira, who has a similar role in Overwatch to the point of being a famously strong support character.

In a way, Cloak & Dagger can be considered a more balanced version of Moira, because they don’t have an attack in one hand and healing power in the other that can be alternated at any time. Instead, Cloak & Dagger force the player to think tactically and swap between the characters for either damage or rejuvenation.

6 Mantis

Healing And Buffing Others Just Like Zenyatta

• Class: Strategist
• Difficulty: 1/5
• First Appearance: The Avengers #112

Mantis can buff an ally’s damage output by targeting them with an orb or hitting them with a burst of energy, causing healing over time. This is similar to Zenyatta, one of the ideal support characters for Overwatch beginners, who increases his allies’ damage by placing an orb onto a targeted enemy.

The more obvious parallel is Mantis’ ultimate attack, which is nearly identical to Zenyatta’s. Both characters unleash auras. Not only do the auras continuously heal while they are active, but they also increase movement speed, which is helpful when trying to maintain a capture point or push a team toward an objective.

5 Squirrel Girl

Junkrat Is Just As Deadly With Explosive Rounds

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 1/5
• First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes #8 (Vol. 2)

Those who love to lob explosives at their opponents as Junkrat can rest easy knowing that Squirrel Girl, a hero known for defeating powerful villains like Thanos, can provide similar gameplay. Instead of a grenade launcher, Squirrel Girl wields her trusty slingshot loaded with explosive acorns that deal almost as much damage as Junkrat does.

That’s not the only similarity, as Squirrel Girl also has a similar ultimate ability as Junkrat, unleashing a stampede of squirrels at her opponent that eradicates foes, a la Junkrat’s Rip Tire ability. Squirrel Girl also has a trap ability in the form of Squirrel Blockade that briefly stuns her foes.

4 Iron Man

Tony Stark Rains Down Justice From Above As Pharah Does

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 2/5
• First Appearance: Tales Of Suspense #39

The skies are a nightmare for ground-bound heroes if Iron Man is in play, thanks to his ability to fly combined with the powerful weapons built into his suit. If he activates his Armor Overdrive, his repulsor blasts become explosive, which, paired with his fast aerial movements, makes him an overpowered character at times and a menace to the online community.

Many have already compared him to Pharah, who has a similar advantage in the air, wielding a rocket launcher at all times. Unlike Iron Man, though, Pharah’s flight is limited, while her rockets aren’t easily compared to Iron Man’s limited explosive blasts and unlimited flight.

3 The Punisher

Soldier: 76 Would Either Love Or Hate Frank Castle

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 1/5
• First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #129

Known for his fondness for every kind of firearm imaginable, The Punisher is a character used by players who want to charge and blast everything in sight. He is the prime example of a shooter hero, ideal for players more familiar with standard third-person and first-person shooters.

From his movements and even aspects of his design, The Punisher bears the most resemblance to Soldier: 76. Both wield similar assault rifles and exude a fierce personality due to their tragic pasts, and they are both easy to adjust to for first-time players. However, Punisher has different abilities compared to his Overwatch counterpart.

2 Hawkeye

If Hanzo And Genji Fused Into One Character

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 4/5
• First Appearance: Tales Of Suspense #57

Wielding a precise and powerful bow with unlimited arrows, a special shockwave arrow, and able to jump far distances perfectly describes Hawkeye, but it also is a nearly identical description of Hanzo from Overwatch. If anyone is a dedicated Hanzo player, they will pick up Hawkeye almost immediately as a deadly DPS hero, even with the different abilities he possesses.

The biggest difference between Hawkeye and Hanzo is their ultimate abilities. Hanzo summons a spiritual dragon to demolish all enemies in its way, while Hawkeye’s Hunter’s Sight ability creates afterimage versions of opponents that share damage with their affiliated heroes.

1 Black Widow

Widowmaker Is Already A Clone Of Natasha

• Class: Duelist
• Difficulty: 4/5
• First Appearance: Tales Of Suspense #52

When it comes to Black Widow, players can call her a rip-off of Widowmaker, but the truth has always been the opposite. From the spider-themed skintight costume to her skills as an assassin, Widowmaker was a clear homage to Black Widow but with an emphasis on fighting with a sniper rifle.

As a result of their similarities, it only makes sense that Black Widow takes from her analog by being a sniper-based character in Marvel Rivals. She doesn’t have a rapid-fire mode, but with her sniper, she can take out enemies from across the map, and she has a grappling hook for traversal as well.