Much like other video game rivals such as Call of Duty and Battlefield, Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 feature a natural overlap in their player bases, and naturally, they need to one-up one another to gain the attention of potential fans. Both of these hero shooters have their strengths – Overwatch 2 feels more balanced, has years of content at its disposal, and has cornered the Nintendo Switch community. Marvel Rivals, on the other hand, has the strength of its licensed IP to lean on, a significantly quicker release schedule for its seasonal content, and an interesting team-up system to help set it apart.
Both these games have gone back and forth in the eyes of hero shooter fans, and though Marvel Rivals’ player base has shrunk as of late, it is still enjoyed by a massive amount of gamers and sees expected spikes with big releases. While Overwatch 2’s Stadium was a huge win for Blizzard’s take on the genre, NetEase does not seem to be resting on its laurels, as Season 3 aims to address a number of community concerns in one fell swoop. Anti-air options for Vanguards, UI improvements, progression changes, and more are planned. Perhaps most interesting of all, though, is its new reward type, which is a cut above the stale offerings for quick play matches in Overwatch 2.
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With Season 3, Marvel Rivals players will be able to acquire some charming accessories, which attach directly to specific heroes’ belts and other gear. Players will instantly see the appeal of these items, as not only are they clearly visible on the character models thanks to Rivals’ third-person perspective, but many are references to the source material or are clearly inspired by existing character dynamics. The accessories that will be made available in Marvel Rivals‘ third season are:
While NetEase could have placed these accessories behind a paywall (and still may include the option to buy them down the road), the developer instead chose to make them a reward earned through regular gameplay in Season 3. Players can earn accessories through either quick play or competitive, which is a clear benefit of the system. In Overwatch 2, players have to play the increasingly sweaty Stadium for special seasonal skins, or the always intense competitive for weapon camos. Players get nothing outside of battle pass and weekly loot box progress for playing quick play in Overwatch 2, meaning that Marvel Rivals is doing something its competitor doesn’t do enough of: giving its most casual fans something exciting to chase beyond the battle pass.
Currently, it’s unclear how extensive the grind will be for each accessory, as leaks have suggested there is a weekly cap to prevent players from getting too much of the accessory currency and unlocking all of them right away. Still, with how long it can take to gather competitive points in Overwatch 2, it’s hard to imagine this system will be longer to progress through than that.
Hopefully, Blizzard takes note of NetEase making this new reward type unlockable via quick play, as it would have been easy to make it another competitive-exclusive reward. With Marvel Rivals’ events already lapping Overwatch 2’s due to the top-notch free skins they provide, it’s been clear for some time that meaningful rewards to chase is something Blizzard can do far better at, with the accessories only driving the point home. Sure, loot boxes returned to Overwatch 2, but the cap of three per week makes them a bit of an afterthought. There’s so much more that Blizzard can do – unlockable weapon inspects not tied to mythic weapons, earnable lore drops like Rivals, unique Ultimate animations – the list goes on and on.
If Blizzard does add a new reward type to chase, though, it should ensure players not interested in competitive play have a way to acquire it. Weapon skins and Stadium outfits are all well and good, and should continue to be added, but not everyone is cut out for those modes. Marvel Rivals has remembered its casual player base with its earnable accessories, making them a feature every single player can be excited about – and an addition Overwatch 2 can learn from.
9/10
December 6, 2024
T For Teen // Violence
NetEase Games
NetEase Games
Unreal Engine 5
