Marvel Rivals’ Season 1 Heroes Put the Ball Back in Overwatch 2’s Court

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Since its debut in 2016, Overwatch has dominated the hero shooter genre without much competition. Games like Valve’s Team Fortress 2, which were around before it, didn’t have as significant an impact. However, Overwatch revolutionized the genre in a way that hadn’t been done before, and despite the flaws in its 2022 sequel Overwatch 2, it still holds the top spot. But now, Marvel Rivals has entered the scene and is challenging the champion fiercely.

Introduced in December, the game titled “Marvel Rivals” offers a 6v6 hero shooter experience, allowing players to command some of history’s most renowned heroes and villains from Marvel Universe. However, Marvel Rivals isn’t just about brand popularity; it boasts an impressive lineup at launch, with 33 playable characters, eight distinct maps, and three primary game modes. This made it seem like a fully-loaded package from the get-go, and there are even more exciting developments to come. The first season of Marvel Rivals commences on January 10, and the abundance of fresh content is set to challenge “” in the competition.

Marvel Rivals Is Leaving Overwatch 2 In The Dust With Its Heroes

Marvel Rivals’ Launch Roster Already Gave Overwatch 2 a Run for its Money

When Marvel Rivals initially dropped, I was thrilled to discover that it boasted a diverse roster of 33 playable characters, both heroes and villains. Each one had a unique primary attack, a distinct set of abilities, and an impressive Ultimate move up their sleeve. To add to the excitement, there were plenty of unlockable cosmetic options to personalize my characters. In stark contrast, Overwatch 1 launched with only 12 heroes back in 2016.

After its launch in 2016, Overwatch 1 expanded its character lineup, incorporating heroes such as Ana, Orisa, Sombra, and Moira into the mix. The game’s last update in April 2020 introduced Echo, a damage-dealing hero, raising the total roster to 31 characters. When Overwatch 2 entered early access in October 2022, it retained the original’s 31 characters and added three new ones: Kiriko, Sojourn, and Junker Queen.

In simple terms, when Overwatch 2 came out in October 2022, it had 34 characters. So, the fact that Marvel Rivals launched with 33 characters (none of which were transferred from a prior game) is quite an impressive accomplishment.

Marvel Rivals’ Post-Launch Plan Is Putting Overwatch 2 to Shame

With the launch of Marvel Rivals, this is only the start. In fact, before its release, developer NetEase had pledged that fresh characters would be added to Marvel Rivals during subsequent seasons at no cost. True to their word, Season 1 of Marvel Rivals is slated for January 10, introducing an impressive roster of four new playable heroes. These heroes are none other than the core members of The Fantastic Four.

It’s still uncertain if all Fantastic Four characters will join Marvel Rivals on the same day when Season 1 starts, but by the end of this season (which should last about 2-3 months), all four will definitely be part of the team. This is a much faster release pace compared to Overwatch 2.

Over the span of approximately 2 years and 3 months since its early access debut, ‘Overwatch 2’ has incorporated a total of ten new characters. To be more precise, it introduced four new characters in the year 2022, followed by three in 2023, and another three in 2024. This implies that in a single season, ‘Marvel Rivals’ is expected to introduce more characters than ‘Overwatch 2’ typically does in a full year. Moreover, it seems likely that this is only the beginning of the content releases planned for ‘Marvel Rivals’ in the current year.

Although it’s not always appropriate or required to directly compare Overwatch and Marvel Rivals, it’s challenging to ignore the impact that Marvel Rivals’ post-release strategies have had on Overwatch 2. This effect is further amplified by the fact that the latest hero introduced in Overwatch 2 hasn’t resonated well with players.

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2025-01-07 20:53