Marvel Rivals Likely to Nail a Massive Feature That Overwatch Struggled to Perfect

In the landscape of multiplayer games, few features have been as anticipated and as difficult to perfect as PvE mode. Games like Overwatch made significant efforts to integrate a compelling PvE experience, but despite its best efforts, it struggled to meet the expectations set by its passionate fanbase.

Now, a new contender has arrived that might just have the formula to get it right: Marvel Rivals. This title has already generated quite a buzz in the community since its release. With its action-packed world of Marvel heroes, it has the potential to deliver a PvE experience that Overwatch struggled to perfect.

Marvel Rivals has a stronger foundation for PvE than Overwatch

In 2019, Blizzard revealed plans for a full-fledged PvE mode as part of Overwatch 2. However, as the game was developed and released, the promised PvE features were continuously delayed or scaled back.

While PvE content eventually arrived, with new maps and missions, the immersive experience that players had hoped for never became reality. In fact, the team eventually shifted focus back to PvP, and the planned PvE content has now been officially scrapped.

For Blizzard, the struggle with PvE is a story of ambition meeting practical limitations. Developers couldn’t create new content that brought fresh new gameplay experience (repetitive content), resulting in an inability to deliver a meaningful, replayable PvE experience.

This is where Marvel Rivals comes in. A new title that could be able to succeed where Overwatch halted and failed to capitalize. Unlike Blizzard, who had to create a world from scratch, Rivals can simply tap into decades of existing Marvel lore.

From the Avengers and X-Men to the Guardians of the Galaxy and beyond, the sheer number of iconic heroes and villains gives the developers endless possibilities for narrative-driven PvE missions, whether it’s team-ups against classic Marvel foes like Ultron or deep dives into the multiverse.

Fans crave a PvE mode, but will NetEase follow through?

In addition to having a depth and rich lore of Marvel’s universe, Marvel Rivals can even take notes from the lessons of Overwatch’s PvE struggles, in particular its replayability. With so many different stories and characters to explore, it can bring a wide range of heroes with different playstyles.

Of course, the big question mark still remains: whether or not NetEase will commit to delivering on the potential of a strong PvE experience in Marvel Rivals.

Given the popularity of the Marvel brand, it would be surprising if they didn’t take the opportunity to capitalize on the vast array of characters, but the true test will be how well they execute it.

— Marvel Rivals – Leaks & Info (@RivalsLeaks) January 6, 2025

Hopefully they don’t pull a OW with a PvE!

— Volitz (@Volitz_) January 6, 2025

I'd love a pve mode where we get to experience more of the ongoing story

— Drake Iceheart (@DrakeIceheart) January 7, 2025

It would be an awesome way to introduce Ultron. First as a PVE big boss, then usable in game when the event is up. Same could work for other baddies introduced in game.

— 𝘽𝙚𝙣 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 (@thisesportslife) January 6, 2025

Fans are already actively speculating about a PvE mode and have taken to various social media platforms and gaming forms to express their desire to experience a new type of content in the already popular game.

While there are still a lot of unknowns, the game seems to have the material (literally) needed to succeed where others struggled. With a vast character roster, the potential for rich storytelling, and the opportunity to build a world that feels alive, it could be the game that finally gets PvE right.

In the end, fans are excited about the launch of Season 1 on January 10th, with the arrival of Fantastic Four. Beyond that, it remains to be seen if the developers will seize this opportunity to deliver a PvE mode and build something truly special.