Key Takeaways
- Former Blizzard President accuses Marvel Rivals of copying Overwatch, specifically with Black Widow.
- The similarities between Black Widow and Widowmaker drew attention, but Black Widow predated Widowmaker by 50 years.
- Notable differences between Black Widow and Widowmaker include unique abilities like Infra-Sight and Electro-Plasma Explosion.
As a veteran gamer with over three decades of gaming experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu when it comes to the latest controversy surrounding Marvel Rivals and Overwatch. It seems like we’ve been here before – with Titanfall and Call of Duty, Battlefield and Halo, and now Overwatch and Marvel Rivals.
Mike Ybarra, former Blizzard President, has some strong opinions about the upcoming release of Marvel Rivals, which is set to launch fully later this week. Similarities have been drawn between this game and its peer, the hero-shooter Overwatch. However, what makes Marvel Rivals unique is that its characters are based on established Marvel Comics figures, ranging from famous ones like Wolverine to lesser-known characters such as Luna Snow.
A character from Marvel comics, Black Widow, shares many similarities with Widowmaker from Overwatch in terms of her gun-based combat and long-distance sniping abilities. However, it’s worth noting that there are distinct differences in their specific attacks. Interestingly, even a former Blizzard employee recognizes these similarities.
Just before the launch of Marvel Rivals on December 6, Mike Ybarra, a former Blizzard President, expressed concerns on Twitter about NetEase allegedly copying Overwatch 2 by featuring Black Widow as a playable character. He pointed out the similarity in their names with Widowmaker and went as far as drawing parallels between Marvel Rivals and Light of Motiram, an upcoming game that has been criticized for attempting to mirror Guerrilla Games’ Horizon series.
Former Blizzard President Mike Ybarra Accuses Marvel Rivals of Ripping Off Overwatch
Indeed, the persona of Black Widow has existed for more than half a century prior to Widowmaker from Overwatch, as Twitter’s Community Notes promptly highlighted following Mike Ybarra’s post. In fact, even the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s portrayal of Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) predates Widowmaker, with Iron Man 2 (her first on-screen appearance) being released in 2010, a solid six years before the original Overwatch game was launched in 2016.
If we suppose Mike Ybarra was drawing a comparison between Black Widow’s gameplay in Marvel Rivals and Widowmaker in Overwatch, it’s clear that there are significant distinctions in their move sets. For instance, the Infra-Sight Ultimate skill of Widowmaker allows her and her teammates to spot opponents through walls for a limited time, whereas Black Widow’s Electro-Plasma Explosion can hinder enemies with a minefield that deals damage. However, it’s worth noting that Ybarra isn’t the only former Blizzard employee to comment on Marvel Rivals resembling Overwatch 2. In fact, lead hero designer Alec Dawson and game director Aaron Keller have stated that their team could improve their own game by analyzing “Overwatch clones” such as Marvel Rivals.
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2024-12-05 19:16