Marvel Rivals pay-to-win? Not quite, but players think some skins are actually pay-to-lose

Marvel Rivals is one of many free-to-play games that have launched and been carried to massive success thanks to cosmetics, allowing anyone to play it without paying.

Games like Marvel Rivals are carried entirely on microtransactions in an in-game store, and with 30-plus iconic Marvel characters in the game sporting different looks, it seemed destined to be a big hit. But not all skins are created equal, apparently.

In a Jan. 23 Reddit post, one unfortunate Rivals player posted a screenshot of their point of view playing as Jeff the Land Shark in his Incognito Dolphin costume, which they say they bought with all of their saved up Credits. It appears as though they regret that decision now, though, as Jeff seems to be taking up about half of the screen as they play.

The good thing about a third-person game like Rivals is that you can readily see the skins you buy or earn as you play compared to a first-person game, which only serves to heighten the experience of dominating Competitive matches or grouping up with friends for fun games in Quick Play.

The bad thing, though, is situations like this. NetEase Games can get very creative with skins, and they have already with themed skins for two battle passes thus far—but they are limited by players needing to see what’s going on around them as a third-person shooter.

In the thread, some other players chimed in about skins in the game and only just now realizing that they could affect visibility somehow. One player said that they feel like Doctor Strange’s season zero battle pass skin “has less viability than his default too, only slightly, but still, it seems bulkier.” Another player warned others not to buy Groot’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 MCU skin because “it makes him like double the size so it is harder to see.”

It’s actually a pretty good point. The new MCU Groot is way thicker than the base version made by NetEase, so it is something to take into account when purchasing or equipping new skins. For most costumes it should be no issue, but for Jeff, who is way lower to the ground than most characters, it may become a problem depending on the geometry around the player.

Jeff’s Cuddly Fuzzlefin also makes his model a bit bigger, upon further inspection, since the base skin is “naked” while the winter-themed costume adds a poofy jacket, hat, scarf, and goggles, so it kind of makes sense. But comparatively, Incognito Dolphin definitely is a bit more egregious due to its hugely puffy pink style.

Visibility will always be limited in a third-person shooter when the player has their back up against a wall, as the camera is forced to push in behind them. If this continues to be an issue for some characters’ costumes in the future, though, NetEase Games may be forced to take action by either customizing the zoom level per skin for each hero, or some other kind of fix.

Either way, make sure to think twice before spending your saved up Credits on a skin in the store to ensure that it’s the one you want.