Summary
The developers at NetEase Games have released the newest hero shooter,Marvel Rivals.This game features thirty-three characters from Marvel, each with its own pros and cons. While the launch is considered mostly smooth, it is a hero shooter, and it would be a miracle if it launched without some imbalances and heroes that are considered overpowered.
From having a bit too much health to powerful abilities that are already menacing the multiplayer servers,Marvel Rivalsdoes feature characters that have the community grumbling. Thankfully, as it is a live-service game, there are opportunities for NetEase to make changes through updates in the future.
Updated May 22, 2025, by Melody MacReady:Marvel Rivals continues to be one of the most popular free-to-play games as it enters its first season with a new set of content. The latest update not only introduces new maps and modes but also adds two new characters: The Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic from The Fantastic Four. These characters fill the roles of strategist and duelist respectively, each with their own unique abilities that make them stand out in this hero shooter. Additionally, over time, other characters have received buffs and nerfs, leading to a more balanced gameplay experience for some, while others remain as overpowered as ever.
15Star-Lord
Being Legendary Is More Than Just Him Showing Off
Armed with his dual Element Guns,Star-Lordis a duelist who quickly fires a barrage of rounds at the opponent and then retreats, making him ideal for flanking. However, the leader of the Guardians Of The Galaxy features a black flip ability, allowing him to not only dodge an attack but instantly reload his guns for another round of his own attacks.
When surrounded by enemies, his Blaster Barrage attack does exactly as it sounds, making Star-Lord unload his weapons in all directions to damage anyone around him. The character also boasts a strong ultimate attack that makes his Element Guns fire like a beam attack that can cut through armored vanguard characters in seconds.
14Groot
He Is Not Just A Friendly Wooden Giant
Everyone’s favorite lovable talking tree,Grootmay be a kind soul, but his kit inMarvel Rivalsmakes him a deadly foe. Not only do his basic melee attacks havean impressive range for a vanguard, but he can also trap his enemies thanks to his thick vines, and is able to craft walls to keep foes from retreating or protect allies from a barrage of damage while doubling Groot’s attacks like a turret.
His Spore Bomb is the perfect special attack to combo into Groot’s basic attacks, already dealing a good amount of damage, but it spreads out into a small cluster bomb attack as well. Groot can also use his ultimate attack to pull multiple foes together and deal damage over time while imprisoning them.
13Scarlet Witch
Wanda Can Turn The Tide With Her Chaos Magic
Scarlet Witchis already an overpowered character in the comics and the movies, so it should be no surprise that she continues to be one inMarvel Rivals. In the game, she saps the life out of opponents using her chaos magic and players have the advantage of her attack tracking opponents, reducing the need for precision aiming and allowing her to defeat an enemy in seconds.
Newcomers should beware, though, that if they hear Scarlet Witch yell out, “Pure chaos!” that is their cue to run for their lives, asshe is unleashing her ultimate attack. It is a massive explosion that can destroy everyone, no matter how much health or armor they have, and can result in an entire team being wiped out.
12Winter Soldier
Fans Are Terrified By This Super Soldier’s Ultimate Attack
Similar to Scarlet Witch,Winter Soldierfeatures an ultimate attack that most players fear. He can leap into the air and slam down with a powerful bionic arm attack. If he immediately defeats an enemy or quickly takes down other enemies that were wounded by the attack, he can use the ability again right away. If timed correctly, the Winter Soldier’s ultimate can be used until the entire enemy team is gone.
The Winter Soldier’s basic attack is a high-powered pistol that can effectively take out enemies from a distance. When combined with the abilities of his bionic arm, he can defeat even the toughest opponents. It’s advisable to immediately focus on the Winter Soldier when he enters the fight.
11Venom
Extra Symbiote Armor Makes Him Nearly Impossible To Defeat
Venomis the prime example of a tank and DPS character fusion, able to charge in and deal a lot of damage fast in a match. Like most Vanguard classes, he has a lot of health already, but at any point, he can use his Symbiotic Resistance ability to grant him an extra 100 health points to keep him going. He can even survive some ultimate attacks thanks to the extra health.
The powerful attacks and other abilities turnthe playable version of Venominto a force to be reckoned with, such as plummeting down on enemies and swinging faster than Spider-Man. Additionally, his standard attack has a surprising range for a melee attack, all of which turns him into the ideal Vanguard for distracting the enemy team while the rest focuses on the objective.
10Iron Man
Unlimited Flight Turns Iron Man Into A Sniper
As expected,Iron Manis armed with his trusty repulsors in his gauntlets, missiles, and chest beamlike most versions of the character. His attacks can hit anyone at seemingly any range, which makes him a danger to anyone because of his ability to fly without any limitations.
Amid an intense battle, Iron Man can easily hide high in the air, launching repulsor blasts and energy beams akin to a sniper attack. It wouldn’t be so bad if Iron Man didn’t have the fastest movement out of all the airborne characters, even without his bonus ability to jet off at great speeds to avoid any possible attacks.
9Squirrel Girl
She Lives Up To Her Reputation As Unbeatable
Manycharacters from theOverwatchrostercan be compared toMarvel Rivalscharacters andSquirrel Girlis no different. Squirrel Girl is essentially an analog of Junkrat, featuring a main attack to lob projectiles that explode after a second or on impact of an opponent.
Unlike Junkrat, Squirrel Girl’s main attack is far more precise and with better range to make Squirrel Girl take out an opponent far across the map. Additionally, she can unleash a stampede of squirrels that can devour foes in seconds, which is technically comic-accurate since Squirrel Girl took on Thanos and won in the past.
8Jeff The Land Shark
The Best Shark Dog Is Also A Menace To Enemies
On the one hand,Jeff The Land Sharkis considered the cutest character in the gameas he is a tiny sharkthat looks and moves like a puppy. On the other hand, however, Jeff is a Strategist character who sprays water and launches bubbles that heal teammates, arguably having the fastest healing abilities in the game.
Jeff can also heal himself, simply by swimming under the surface of any floor. While he is not invincible while swimming, his small dorsal fin is a challenge to hit, since he moves faster in this mode. Then there is his ultimate attack, which allows him to swallow all teammates and enemies whole. If positioned correctly, he can launch his enemies off the map for multiple kills at once.
7Peni Parker
The Strongest Of The Spider-People
Wearing her SP//dr mech suit asone of many Spider-Verse heroes, Peni Parker has heavy cannons that mow through enemy health fast, even large ones like Venom. That’s not what makes her overpowered, though, that honor goes to her Spider-Mines, which she can lay many out onto the map as traps combined with her cannons that make her a nightmare for players.
Peni Parker also features a Spider-Nest, which has multiple functions: sending out drones that attack opponents within range, allowing Peni to heal over time, and enhancing her speed. It all results in Peni Parker being a constant barrage of abilities that can turn the tide of an entire battle.
6The Punisher
Guns, Guns, And More Guns
In the early betas ofMarvel Rivals,The Punisherbecame a notoriously brutal character to go up against. On top of an assault rifle and a shotgun that deal tremendous damage, the Punisher also has access to an armored turret that can wipe out an entire team without even being an ultimate attack, making hima perfect character for beginners.
There is humor to be found in a human character like Frank Castle defeating gods and aliens with Earthly firearms, but that’s also part of the fun. However, Punisher does have one otherworldly weapon in the form of an exosuit decorated with multiple guns as his ultimate attack, which has already made players run in terror whenever he unleashes it.
