Marvel Rivals review: the hero shooter that made Overwatch nervous

The verdict

Marvel Rivals is the best new hero shooter in years, and it's free. NetEase took the Overwatch formula, added destructible maps and team-up abilities, and populated it with Marvel's most iconic characters. It's not perfect, but it's the most exciting the genre has been since 2016.

What works

The roster is the headline, and it delivers. Spider-Man swings and webs, Hulk smashes, Iron Man flies and fires repulsors, Doctor Strange opens portals. Every hero feels like their comic-book self, and the movement variety — flying, swinging, dashing — makes traversal genuinely fun.

Team-up abilities are the smartest design decision. When specific heroes are on the same team, they unlock combo abilities — Rocket riding Groot's shoulder, Magneto and Scarlet Witch combining powers. It rewards coordination and makes team comp matter beyond the standard tank/DPS/support split.

Destructible environments change how fights play out. Walls crumble, cover disappears, and sightlines shift mid-fight. It adds a layer of chaos that Overwatch's static maps never had.

What doesn't

Balance is a rollercoaster. Every patch swings hard — a hero that was must-pick becomes unplayable, and vice versa. The meta churns faster than the community can adapt.

The roster is smaller than Overwatch's (though growing every season), and ranked queue times at the highest tiers can drag. It's a young game, and the growing pains show.

Should you play it?

If you liked Overwatch and wanted more, or if you've ever wanted to web-swing into a teamfight as Spider-Man, Marvel Rivals is your game. It's free, it's fresh, and it's the most fun a hero shooter has been in years.

Score: 8/10 — Recommended.

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Marvel Rivals is free on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Browse more free shooters in our Games Database.