Overwatch was one of the most popular and unexpectedly popular games in video game history. The reasons are evident: charismatic characters, mechanics that are easy to understand and difficult to master, and an emphasis on fun over competitiveness. As they moved away from that over time, the audience also moved away from the game. And when Overwatch 2 definitively broke away from all of that, it fell from grace in a way that once seemed impossible.
For that reason, many people miss the original Overwatch experience. Including us. Something that seems like NetEase has decided to embrace in their new game, a cooperative 5v5 team PVP with unique powers. With a twist. Its name is Marvel Rivals.
As the name suggests, the game uses characters from the famous comic company to give us a very similar experience to the original Overwatch. While we still don’t know the details, the premise seems to be that Galacta, the often forgotten daughter of Galactus who made her first appearance in Marvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular #2, has kidnapped a group of superheroes and supervillains to fight each other. A premise similar to the Secret Wars arc, written by Jim Shooter and drawn by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton between 1984 and 1985, where Beyonder did exactly the same thing.
What has been hinted so far, in terms of gameplay, seems exactly the same as Overwatch. Although with some interesting additions. On one hand, we have the destructibility of scenarios, similar to The Finals, which adds a new strategic layer to the whole. On the other hand, we have team-ups, which seem to be special attacks that require two characters joining forces to perform them. Although we still don’t know the details, these can be significant changes that make their premise even more interesting.
Regarding the characters, we already know nineteen of them, although we don’t know if all of them will be playable. Although we don’t know if Galacta will be among the playable characters, we have been able to see in the trailer Rocket Racoon, Star Lord, Black Panther, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Namor, Magneto, Magik, Storm, Peni Parker, Luna Snow, Loki, Hulk, Spider-Man, Groot, Mantis, Punisher, and Magneto. An impressive roster, coming from all corners of the Marvel universe, that has a little something for everyone, and a lot for X-Men fans.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t notable absences within this official selection. The fact that Captain America, Thor, or Black Widow don’t appear is quite surprising, given their success within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although we have no doubt that this is only the initial roster and that more characters will be included over time, if even more initial characters don’t appear.
Although they haven’t said anything about the monetization of the game, being a NetEase game it is assumed that it will be a free-to-play game with all kinds of microtransactions. In the past, they have had questionable practices in this regard, with Diablo Immortal being particularly notorious for its extremely aggressive monetization. In any case, we emphasize that we do not know what their system will be like and whether the monetization will include only skins, characters, or something else.
If you are interested in this Marvel Rivals, you should know that you won’t have to wait long to try it. Its closed alpha will start next May, and it will be exclusively available for PC. So if you like Overwatch and Marvel characters, you’re in luck: this game is specifically made for you.
