Nearly 75% of All Marvel Rivals Characters Being “Greatest Hits” Puts the Game in a Convenient Trap That May Haunt it into a Concord-like Shutdown

Marvel Rivals seems all set to become the next big multiplayer shooter in gaming. With some of the most iconic characters in pop culture and a few overlapping mechanics from other hero shooters carrying it on its back.

Marvel Rivals brings Marvel’s most prominent icons to the front, but it may rely too heavily on established heroes – Image Credit: NetEase Games

Therein lies a problem, however. Although the game is banking on popular characters to draw in players, this approach could trap it in a cycle of predictability. With no way out of such a trap, there is a lingering concern that it may soon fall the way of Concord.

Marvel Rivals Feels a Bit Lacking in Its Inclusion of Underrated Heroes and Villains

Players may love the top-tier Marvel heroes, but the inclusion of obscure characters could truly set Marvel Rivals apart – Image Credit: NetEase Games

With the game right around the corner and about to enter the wilds, there is growing anxiety within the game’s player base on just how much NetEase Games intends to support it, primarily because of Concord’s untimely delivery into the shadow realm.

At the same time, the developers are somewhat confident in the product they are building with Rivals. For instance, executive producer Danny Koo even revealed in a recent interview that nearly 75% of Marvel Rivals’ character roster is composed of the “greatest hits” from the Marvel universe.

This is, admittedly, a bit bothersome, as while characters like Magneto, Venom, Iron Man, and Spider-Man are sure to appeal to casual Marvel fans, the more hardcore fan base might be left wanting more, who will also support the game financially for a longer period.

As Koo mentioned further, about 25% of the roster includes obscure characters like Jeff the Land Shark, Luna Snow, and Magik—lesser-known but potentially just as interesting.

Here’s the thing about these characters and Marvel Rivals. Characters like Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel, while undeniably popular, feel almost too expected and a safe choice. But, so far, the fans seem a lot more excited about having more underappreciated characters than anyone popular.

So, suppose the developers don’t listen to people more, fail to diversify their roster, and don’t rely more on these hidden gems. In that case, the game risks falling into the same trap that took down Concord—a hero shooter that quickly became irrelevant due to its overly cautious approach and a lack of understanding of what its players wanted.

Marvel Rivals May Have a Successful Launch, but It Needs More to Survive the Long Game

New abilities and diverse character mechanics might be the key to Marvel Rivals’ long-term success – Image Credit: NetEase Games.

At the end of the day, though, Marvel Rivals will undoubtedly launch strong, with players of all varieties coming in droves to try their hand at it. It will ride high on the popularity wave and most likely generate a good level of revenue.

However, to truly stand out and survive the long game in the oversaturated landscape of hero shooters, one needs to think beyond the obvious. The game already has enough overlap in mechanics with Overwatch, and it’s clear that simply having familiar faces isn’t enough to keep players engaged in the long term.

To that end, not only do NetEase and MP1st need a more concrete plan of action for the future, but they also need more variety in mechanics and the inclusion of lesser-known Marvel characters with unique abilities as the secret sauce to keep things fresh and lively.

After its recent testing stages, the most prominent feedback towards the game is that players want more than just reskinned characters; they want depth, creativity, and the chance to experience something new.

With the hero shooter genre growing nearly a decade old at this point, Rivals will need to play its cards perfectly right to shake up the meta and keep players hooked for years to come.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on Marvel Rivals so far? What obscure character would you like to see in the game? Let us know in the comments below.