‘So many skins ruined by some fugly boots”: Marvel Rivals Has Prioritized a Key Aspect That Overwatch 2 Has Blissfully Ignored So Far

In the live service genre of video games, aesthetic supremacy is just as intense as the combat on screen. A recent post on the Marvel Rivals subreddit talked about the similarity between two character modes saying that it’d be hard to tell them apart. And this will become increasingly more apparent as the game gets even more skins.

The skins are getting crazier and crazier. | Image Credit: NetEase Games

However, as Overwatch 2 players know, not all games handle skin design equally. Blizzard took a different approach because of this and maintained aspects of characters on all skins so that they would remain recognizable to players. And while players have praised the usefulness of this, it came at the cost of the skins’ aesthetics.

Marvel Rivals has flashy and over-the-top cosmetics and it’s causing debates

Characters might become too similar looking in the future. | Image Credit: NetEase Games

The conversation began with Marvel Rivals players debating the similarity between the models for the newly announced Invisible Woman and Dagger. Reddit user u/Kalequity summed up the concern: “It’s probably going to be hard to tell the difference between these two during a fight.”

In Overwatch 2, making characters recognizable with distinct silhouettes has been a cornerstone of design philosophy. The developers at Blizzard sacrificed aesthetics to ensure players can identify heroes instantly, which is vital for tactical gameplay. But it also led to the skins not being on par in terms of quality. As u/Shpaan commented, “So many skins ruined by some fugly boots or a hat or something just because the base model has that shape.”

In contrast, Marvel Rivals seems willing to blur these lines. Its skins currently range from the minimalistic to the extravagant, allowing characters to experiment with styles that occasionally make them hard to recognize. For many players, this freedom is a breath of fresh air.

As streamer TimTheTatman noted in a recent stream, Marvel Rivals‘ Invisible Woman Malice skin is some next-level stuff. “If they’re releasing skins like this, Overwatch is cooked,” he quipped. With Season 1 coming up soon, NetEase is probably cooking up a storm behind the scenes so Overwatch better watch out.

Player feedback showcases the split opinions on the aesthetic-versus-functionality debate. u/KarP7, another Reddit user, defended Overwatch’s approach, stating, “Personally, I prefer a couple skins that look slightly odd close up but are easily identifiable in-game over this.” On the other hand, u/crackcrackcracks praised Overwatch for its strong design principles, saying, “I’ll always know who I’m looking at based on movement, sound, or bullet tracers.”

What is NetEase going to do compared to Overwatch?

The first problems are already arising. | Image Credit: NetEase Games

Another point of contention lies in the monetization of these cosmetic designs. In Marvel Rivals, skins come in varying tiers—Rare, Epic, and Legendary—each with escalating levels of detail and associated costs. Legendary skins, such as the cinematic-quality Invisible Woman Malice skin, come with additional effects, animations, and price tags to match.

Ultimately, the debate boils down to a question of priorities. Should games prioritize aesthetics, allowing players to express themselves fully, or maintain rigid design rules for clarity and competitive integrity? Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 currently sit on opposite ends of this spectrum and appeal to different player bases.

Ultimately, NetEase probably just doesn’t care given the level of success Marvel Rivals is going through right now. The game peaked at almost half a million players on Steam in its first month of release and has maintained more than 90% of those players at the start of the new year.

What have you thought of Marvel Rivals‘ cosmetics? Let us know in the comments!