I'm a big fan of both Supervision and Marvel, and so when Rivals of Marvel was announced, I couldn't wait to play it for myself. A character shooter with an entire roster of famous characters from one of the world's leading comic book companies is genius on paper, but there was always the possibility that the final product would fall short of expectations. Many of these doubts were dispelled after we spent a lot of time with them Rivals of Marvel' beta testing last summer, and the full release has now ironed out most lingering issues.
Rivals of Marvel is a free-to-play hero shooter that isn't shy about what it is Supervision inspiration. At launch, it has three game modes – Convoy, Domination and Convergence – which translate to Supervision 2Payload, control and hybrid mode respectively. Heroes on his roster also have some abilities that seem to be taken directly from a Blizzard game, such as Scarlet Witch's Ultimate, which is essentially a D.Va Bomb, and Star-Lord's Blaster Barrage ability, which is more or less the same , like Reaper's Death. Blossom Ult. There are some that may be delayed Rivals of Marvel copying Supervisionhomework, and that's a valid concern, but what it lacks in originality it makes up for in sheer fun factor.
Simply put, Rivals of Marvel it's a blast, and how long Supervision player, its similarity to the Blizzard game made it much easier to access the new NetEase release. Yes, many abilities and ideas in Rivals of Marvel are derivative, but that doesn't stop them from being fun and engaging. And it does not mean Rivals of Marvel I have no ideas of my own.
Marvel Rivals' destructible environments change the game
Rivals of Marvel' the use of destructible environments, for example, adds an extra level of excitement to the game's chaotic and action-packed matches. Players can use their abilities to destroy structures on the map, potentially destroying a building that a sniper was using as a vantage point, or destroying a wall that enemies may have used for cover. Of course, players can make strategic moves Rivals of Marvel“destructive environments, but their true value lies in the wild, unexpected water moments they create. There's nothing better than unleashing your abilities in the heat of battle to not only destroy the enemy team, but to destroy an entire rock wall, leaving you and your teammates in a pile of rubble.
Destructive environments are not the only way Rivals of Marvel stands out from Supervision. The game's use of team abilities encourages players to choose their characters to complement their teammates. For example, if someone on the team chose the Punisher, it would be wise for someone else to choose the Rocket Raccoon, as he can put down a gadget that allows the Punisher to fire without reloading. Rocket can also ride on Groot's shoulders, as can Jeff the Land Shark, whose projectiles can gain ice boosts when Luna Snow is on the same team.
One of Rivals of Marvel“Wolverine and the Hulk provided the most interesting team-up skills. Hulk can pick up Wolverine and throw him at enemies, which doesn't always result in kills, but can create wild distractions that leave the enemy team vulnerable to follow-up attacks. Some experienced players have even used this Fastball combo to knock flying enemies out of the sky. There are many creative ways players can use the various abilities Rivals of Marvel list, and as the list grows, so will the combo possibilities.
There were some complaints that Rivals of Marvel“the teams are too strong, and there may be some truth in that. There have also been complaints about certain abilities, with some fans unhappy with Jeff the Land Shark's Ultimate, which allows him to swallow an entire team and throw them off a cliff for an easy team cleanup. Rivals of Marvel it's obviously not a balanced game, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Ridiculous abilities open the door to countless fun, memorable moments with friends, and honestly, I wish they stayed in the game. Some balance changes may be beneficial for the game's competitive scene, but NetEase needs to be careful not to take the fun out of Rivals of Marvel.
Marvel Rivals Launch Registry
- Adam the Warlock
- Black Panther
- Black widow
- Captain America
- Cloak and dagger
- Doctor Strange
- Groot
- Hawkeye
- Hello
- Hulk
- Iron fist
- Iron man
- Land Shark Jeff
- Loki
- Luna Snow
- Magic
- Magnet
- Praying mantis
- Moon Knight
- Namor
- Penny Parker
- Psylocke
- Punisher
- Rocket raccoon
- Scarlet witch
- Spider-Man
- Squirrel girl
- Star Lord
- A storm
- Thor
- Poison
- Winter soldier
- Wolverine
no, Rivals of Marvel not balanced, but it's not to the detriment of the game. However, it has a few other problems; one that will likely never be solved, and one that will eventually be fixed when new content for the hero shooter comes out. What will thankfully be resolved eventually is the lack of maps. Rivals of Marvel only has eight maps for the main game modes at launch, which soon starts to feel a bit repetitive. It doesn't help that some of the maps take place in the same area: two in Ygsgard, two in Tokyo 2099, and two in the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda.
Something that will probably never be fixed Rivals of Marvel' useless progression. Putting the coolest skins in the store and basically requiring players to pay real money if they want to get a lot of anything is fine for a free-to-play game like this, and it makes perfect sense financially. However, I think some system that would allow Rivals of Marvel players who unlock more skins in the game can do wonders. No matter how problematic they are, the original Supervision achieved this with his loot boxes. Rules and regulations around the world mean that there is virtually no such system in place Rivals of Marvelbut it will make leveling up a lot more exciting, whereas now it seems pointless other than unlocking ranked play at level 10.
The Rivals of Marvel Battle Pass progression isn't perfect either. Instead of the traditional Battle Pass, which players advance by leveling up, Rivals of Marvel distributes currency for completing tasks that players use to select certain rewards on the track. Some may like this approach, but I think it makes unlocking less exciting. This system might feel better if there were multiple battle passes to choose from, for example Rivals of Marvel Combat passes do not expire, but that remains to be seen.
Marvel Rivals features 6v6 battles without turn-based roles. The lack of role queue has been frustrating in the occasional match, but so far it hasn't been a huge issue for me.
Minor gripes aside, my time with Rivals of Marvel otherwise it was great. Locating is lightning fast and makes it easy to engage in “just one more game” and the level of perfection is impressive. Rivals of MarvelThe deep roster of 33 characters keeps the battles fresh and exciting, with enough variety that I don't know if I'll ever get bored, especially with new characters and maps coming out at a regular pace.
Rivals of Marvel feels like the first serious contender for Supervisionthe crown; this is a game I see as part of my multiplayer rotation indefinitely. And the thing is Rivals of Marvel at launch is just the tip of the iceberg. There are almost endless possibilities for new additions to lists and maps in the years to come. Some of the leaks Rivals of Marvel the characters make me excited for the future of the game and I can't wait to see how it develops.

Rivals of Marvel
Reviewed on Xbox Series X
- Franchise
- Marvel
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- Developer(s)
- NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
- NetEase Games
- A deep roster of 33 characters at launch
- Destructive environments lend themselves well to chaotic combat
- Unique team abilities
- Ultra-fast matchmaking
- More cards are required
- Progress is not beneficial
Rivals of Marvel is now available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant reviewed the game on Xbox Series X.