I’ve lived in Los Angeles for over a decade, and here in the car jam capital of the world we have a saying: you’re not stuck in traffic, you are traffic. People have a tendency to criticize others for creating problems without acknowledging when they themselves are part of the problem. It’s true for traffic jams, and it’s true for Marvel Rivals.
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Is It Bad Manners To Not Learn How To Play Multiple Roles In Marvel Rivals?
If it is, I am guilty of this myself, as I pretty much only play Vanguards. But I have heard many people claim that you should learn how to play multiple roles so that you can fill in when you are missing a vanguard or a strategist. What say you, Marvel Rivals players? Is it poor form to not be able to play multiple roles?
Even after Marvel Rivals developer NetEase put the kibosh on role queue demands, people are still incredibly frustrated about team compositions. All over social media and in-game voice chat I constantly see people complaining that no one plays Vanguard or Strategist. But of course, it’s not Vanguard or Strategist players complaining, it’s Duelists. They won’t switch off their favorite character to give their team a stronger composition, but they’re furious no one else will either.
Everyone Is The Best Duelist They Know
This is a tale as old as time when it comes to hero shooters and MOBAs. The characters that are the most equipped for 1v1 duels and stacking the scoreboard are always the most popular, while tanks and supporters get all of the blame when you lose and none of the glory when you win. Why should anyone want to play Mantis when they’re just going to get killed by the enemy Hawkeye over and over while having to listen to a teammate who keeps dying out of position complain that they aren’t getting any healing the whole game?
DPS favoritism is even worse in Marvel Rivals than in some other games because of people’s close connections with the characters. There are currently 18 duelists, compared to just eight vanguard and seven strategists, and among those 18 are most of Marvel’s most beloved heroes. Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, The Punisher, Black Panther, Magik, and Storm are all duelists, so of course this is the most popular class.
Just like a traffic jam, there are a lot of factors causing this issue to compound itself. Maybe in the long term we can hope for a more even spread of new characters across the classes with more tantalizing heroes among the vanguards and strategists, but in the meantime if you’re just expecting everyone else to altruistically pick up Luna Snow and Thor, I guess you should be the change you want to see in the world.
Without Role Queue, What Hope Is There For Balanced Comps?
Creative director Guangyn Chen has already made it clear that role queues are not a good choice for Marvel Rivals, which makes a lot of sense. Forcing a specific type of composition creates longer queue times and limits player freedom. This game is all about the superhero fantasy, if people want to play Spider-Man, you have to let them.
So what are the other options? One thing that could help is an in-game LFG like the one Overwatch used to have. This would allow players to group up based on the role they want to play before they queue for a game. Apparently it wasn’t a popular enough feature in Overwatch to carry over to Overwatch 2, but for Marvel Rivals, it could give those who really hate seeing six duelists on their team a way to avoid it.
NetEase is also using the seasonal bonus and team-up ability system to influence character pick rate, which should have an impact on compositions. Adjusting the stats on Vanguard and Strategists are giving certain characters powerful team-up abilities may entice players to stray away from duelists. This can create other balance issues, as we saw with Venom during Season 0, but it’s a way to encourage people to branch out and try new characters.
At the end of the day, you have to decide if problems like this are preventing you from having fun with Marvel Rivals. If that’s the case, it’s better to move on than hang around complaining about it. Maybe give Marvel’s Midnight Suns a try? It’s a great game, and as a bonus, you don’t have to worry that everyone else is already playing it.
Marvel Rivals is a Super Hero Team-Based PVP Shooter!
Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe!
A Deep and Varied Marvel Roster
Choose from a vast array of fan-favorite and cult-classic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains from across the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and many more from across the Marvel Multiverse.
Fast and Fun 6v6 Action with Ever-Changing Game Dynamics
With intricate environments, fast-paced gameplay, and ever-changing battlefields, there’s never a dull moment in Marvel Rivals! Battle as Super Heroes and Super Villains with incredible abilities and combine your powers to bring unexpected fun to the battlefield in a matter of seconds.
Dynamic Hero Synergy
Coordinate unique combinations between characters to ignite surprising Team-Up Skills! Unleash the synergy of combined superpowers and invent new tactics that can turn the tide of combat. Ride on Groot’s back as Rocket Raccoon to take on your enemies as a dangerous duo, unleash Gamma energy as Hulk to charge Iron Man’s armor for massive damage, and so much more!
Creative Environment Destruction
Tear your way through iconic Marvel worlds across destructible environments! From Asgard to the Tokyo of 2099, use superpowers to alter these environments, reshape the terrain, and craft a strategic advantage on the battlefield! Take cover to dodge attacks or use makeshift weapons to strike down enemies. Players will find countless ways to utilize the environment to claim victory!
Continually Evolving Universe and Robust Post-Launch Updates
The Marvel Multiverse brings infinite possibilities! Each seasonal drop will introduce new Super Heroes to the battlefield along with challenging and diverse maps! Unlock new content to implement across various gameplay strategies while experiencing thrilling action and endless possibilities in these adventurous team battles!