Marvel Rivalscontinues its countdown to launch day with exciting reveals every day until December 6. The most recent announcement included the Hydra Erebus Base map and the addition of Hawkeye to the Duelist role. The archer’s arrival in the super-hero-based shooter seemed inevitable after an image of Hawkeye appeared on theMarvel Rivals' website alongside Moon Knight before being hastily removed.
With Hawkeye poised to be playable in just a few weeks, his ability kit should interest fans of Clint Barton and those who enjoy projectile characters. After NetEase Games unveiledHawkeye’s gameplay and abilities, it’s clear that he will be a strong pick. Though fans can only speculate how he will fit into the game’s meta, he appears to be an imposing threat at range or in close-quarters combat.
Marvel Rivals' Hawkeye Has Game-Changing Potential
Hawkeye Could Become Meta In Marvel Rivals
Hawkeye is the 28th character revealed out of the 33 characters in the starting line-up forSeason 0 ofMarvel Rivals. Of the known heroes, Barton is shaping up to be one of the strongest Duelist characters due to his one-shot potential, as he can snipe foes across the map with his primary fire, Piercing Arrow. Currently, no other heroes can eliminate other targets with a single shot.
Fortunately, to keep this ability balanced, the developers have made it so Hawkeye cannot pre-fire angles. Drawing back the bow will charge the damage output, and a 100% charge can only be accomplished by actively targeting an enemy. Therefore, there’s greater value placed on intentional and accurate shots. In this manner,Marvel Rivalscan avoidcontroversy around one-shot heroeswithout a target in their line of sight before firing.
Hawkeye’s passive ability, Archer’s Focus, boosts damage the longer he aims at a target, while the bow’s range charge increases accuracy as he draws it back.
How Hawkeye Performs in Close-Quarter Combat
While the marksman is primarily known for his precision with a bow and arrow, as a ronin samurai, he’s also an expert swordsman. In-game, this is illustrated through two separate abilities. First, his Crescent Slash ability, bound to Left Shift, allows him to slash forward and hit enemies into the air. This could be particularly useful for securing environmental kills. The second, Ronin Slash, lets him use the Wakizashi sword to melee while deflecting oncoming projectiles. As such,Marvel Rivalsplayers shouldn’t expect Hawkeye to be vulnerablein up-close encounters, especially since Skyward Leap gives him the mobility to double-jump away.
Hawkeye’s secondary fire, Blast Arrow, has been compared toOverwatch’s original Scatter Arrow abilitybecause he can send out three explosive arrows that deal splash damage. The core difference is that the arrows are an AoE ability, which means they won’t be able to ricochet or headshot characters. Similarly, Hypersonic Arrow damages targets in its path, resulting in the ability to pierce multiple enemies simultaneously and knock fliers like Storm or Iron Man out of the sky.
Furthermore, Barton’s ultimate, Hunter’s Sight, creates “Afterimages” of moving enemies. It doesn’t appear he can headshot these projections, but he can deal damage to them, which subsequently damages the targets too. Fans have theorized that Black Widow, who may be revealed soon, will also be able to damage these “Afterimages” viaMarvel Rivals' Team-Up Ability, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Ultimately, Hawkeye is well-rounded in nearly every regard as a projectile hero who can counter heroes with flight, engage in close combat, and get value from being at a distance. Still, he’s likely to be easily countered by flank heroes such as Star-Lord or Loki, a good Hela, and Vanguard characters who can face-tank most of the sharpshooter’s damage. With Hela being anS-Tier pick inMarvel Rivals' closed playtests, it will be interesting to see how Hawkeye compares to her hitscan capabilities. Regardless, his one-shot could be particularly game-changing when paired with characters with a stun, like Mantis.
