Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 Hero 45 Collide This December, and It’s a War Rivals Can’t Win
Marvel Rivals has been incredibly consistent with its content additions, though sooner or later, that could come back to haunt it. For now, fans are loving the cadence of big additions, from major events like the ongoing Anniversary festivities to fresh modes like Annihilation to brand-new heroes. It’s that final form of content that Marvel Rivals has been delivering at a speed unheard of for the hero shooter genre. As games like Overwatch 2 add new characters roughly three times a year, NetEase moved to a monthly hero release model with Season 3. This has put it in a shocking position just a year after release, as it’s about to tie Overwatch 2 in terms of roster size in a matter of days.
While it took Overwatch 2 nearly a decade to reach 45 heroes, something it will accomplish when Vendetta debuts on December 9, Marvel Rivals will be hitting 45 characters when Rogue joins the roster on December 12. This will be just six days after the one-year anniversary of the Marvel-focused hero shooter, showing just how dedicated NetEase is to making its game as comprehensive as possible. This practically guarantees that Marvel Rivals will have more characters than Overwatch 2 for good, as come Season 6 and its double-hero release, it will officially have a larger roster than Blizzard’s long-running game. However, there is a real danger to the game’s roster ballooning, as some clear problems could arise. And with this in mind, Rivals winning the quantity battle with OW2 might just set it up to lose the war.
Many are hopeful that Rogue will be a Strategist, but Gambit being part of that category caught many off guard. As such, her role could be similarly unexpected.
Why Marvel Rivals Releasing So Many Heroes is a Double-Edged Sword
On paper, Marvel Rivals having more heroes than Overwatch 2 is a boon for the game. There’s more content for players to enjoy, increased potential for new ability combos, and more gameplay styles can be accommodated. On NetEase’s front, there are fresh opportunities for cosmetics, the primary source of revenue for the free-to-play hero shooter. However, what’s great now might not be great later, as two significant issues could arise from a dozen hero releases every year.
While there’s no chance of NetEase running out of characters to introduce, as it has the freedom to feature original characters in Marvel Rivals alongside decades of comic book history to pull from, there is a chance NetEase could run out of ways to keep additional heroes unique. By constantly needing to pump out characters, it’s only a matter of time before figures with some similar skillsets make their way to the game. If NetEase had months to craft original characters like Blizzard does with Overwatch 2, perhaps it could cook up something hugely inspired, like the water-bending Support Wuyang. But with such a tight schedule, and several Marvel characters having similar powers (such as a majority of the Spider-Verse), heroes could start to feel a lot less bold with each passing year. Some players already think many Marvel Rivals’ Strategists are too similar given their healbot play styles and healing circle ultimates, so there’s reason to be concerned about long-term hero diversity.
The other issue looming over the game’s content strategy is balancing. Marvel Rivals’ balancing has already been questionable from time to time, be it Luna Snow surviving nerfs for ages or Ultron being hit in an area where most feel he didn’t need to be. As Marvel Rivals’ lineup of characters gets bigger and bigger, some things are naturally going to slip through the cracks. Certain combos will likely dominate the meta longer than they should, weak heroes could be tough to justify playing for long, and so on. There’s only so much that hero bans can do to cover for this, especially when the roster gets so big that it’s impossible to eliminate all the pain points. If Marvel Rivals keeps its current pace, by this point in 2027, there will be 81 heroes. Whereas with Overwatch 2, there would only be 54 by then, which is still sizable but feels far more manageable from a balance perspective.
While a newcomer to Marvel Rivals may love that they’re likely to have access to their favorite character, they could be scared off by just how many heroes there are to learn. The game will only become more intimidating with time for these kinds of gamers, too.
Why Vendetta Will Likely Outshine Rogue in December
While it feels like Marvel Rivals can’t win the war of having a well-balanced roster full of unique heroes, opting for the quantity approach instead, it’s also unlikely to win the direct battle between Rogue and Vendetta this December. Whereas Rogue is just a small piece in an ongoing story involving cosmic forces and revolving primarily around Doctor Doom, Vendetta seems poised to give the Overwatch 2 narrative the push forward that it desperately needs. She’ll likely be integral to the story going forward, much like Ramattra was, whereas Rogue will move to the background once Season 6 begins and Deadpool (supposedly) takes her spotlight.
Vendetta is more exciting from a gameplay perspective as well. Yes, Marvel Rivals needs more Vanguards and Strategists, and Rogue will hopefully be one, but there’s no denying that the Damage role is the most popular category for any hero shooter. By potentially doing a double Strategist drop, Marvel Rivals is telling Duelists that now isn’t their time and to come back later, which could push them toward the competition and its new melee-focused Damage hero. Add on the fact that the playtest for Vendetta was well-received, as she’s incredibly fun without feeling unfair, and Rogue has her work cut out for her. By having a more important story role lined up, and by catering to the largest pool of players in the genre, Vendetta will likely be the most talked about character to release in a hero shooter this month. And going forward, Marvel Rivals is risking its hero additions blending together by dropping characters so frequently, with a case to be made for following the mantra of “less is more.”
- Released
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December 6, 2024
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
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NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
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NetEase Games