As Marvel Rivals continues to surge in popularity and get pulled into inevitable debates comparing it to fellow hero shooter Overwatch, Twitch star Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek has taken a moment to remind players not to “disrespect the GOAT” that is Blizzard’s game.
As reported by Dexerto, Shroud defended Overwatch earlier this week during a Marvel Rivals stream, making it clear which one of the two he prefers. “Overwatch is absolutely a much better game, but you gotta remember that’s like comparing a new game to an old game, like Counter-Strike to Valorant or something, you know?” Shroud says.
Continuing, Shroud acknowledges that it goes without saying that “a new game is going to be more exciting for people,” but he thinks that people forget how damn good Overwatch was when it launched, from its visuals, to its performance, matchmaking, and the fact that “anyone could play it.” The streamer adds: “That game took over the world. Don’t ever disrespect the GOAT.”
While Marvel Rivals is a ridiculously fun game, comparisons to Overwatch were always going to be unavoidable, just because of how similar the two games are in places. Certain movesets of characters in Rivals feel heavily inspired by specific Overwatch heroes, for example. Hell, it took just days for Marvel Rivals to see the return of Overwatch’s worst meta, and combined with the fact that the shooter is full of insta-locking DPS players who refuse to switch, it really does feel like we’ve fallen into a portal back into 2016 sometimes. NetEase Games previously said it was “honored to be compared with some of the best games out there in this genre,” even if it feels that it offers something unique overall.
When you consider the recency of NetEase Games’ new title, combined with a sprinkling of nostalgia for those who played Overwatch when it first launched, it’s really no wonder that Marvel Rivals has become so popular when the base game is also a brilliant time. Hopefully, it’ll continue to have what it takes to bring players in, and have the same longevity that Overwatch has been firmly holding onto since the first game’s launch.