After you play just one match of Marvel Rivals, you will immediately sense how much the game will remind you of Overwatch.
While Marvel Rivals does several things differently, like having a third-person view and more destructible environments, many of the abilities will feel quite familiar, and some characters will feel very similar. If you’re new to Marvel Rivals and you are looking to find a go-to character, use this table to find the right suggestion based on your Overwatch main.
Marvel Rivals and Overwatch: similar characters
While some characters in Marvel Rivals remind us of one Overwatch hero in particular, there are several that are of one or two heroes. There’s not quite a direct comparison for every hero in either game, but this list should give you an idea of who to try out if you’re new to Rivals.
| Marvel Rivals Hero | Overwatch Comparison | Noted Similarities |
|---|---|---|
| Punisher | Bastion | – Hitscan DPS – A strong and precise automatic primary weapon – Ability that lets them briefly increase damage at the cost of mobility |
| Iron Man | Echo | – Squishy but exceptionally high damage output potential – Ability to glide/fly around the map – Projectile explosives and channeled beam attacks |
| Bruce Banner / Hulk | D.Va with a melee focus | – Hulk = D.Va in her suit, Bruce Banner = D.Va out her suit |
| Star-Lord | Tracer / Reaper / Cassidy | – Primary weapons and elusiveness similar to Tracer – Blaster Barrage is a less powerful version of Death Blossom – Cassidy’s roll dodge |
| Spider-Man | Genji with a melee focus | – High degree of difficulty and maneuverability – Exceptionally lethal up close and when using their ultimate |
| Luna Snow | Lucio | – Music-based support character – Can amplify their effects for a short time – Can switch between buff types – Area of effect ultimate that buffs the team |
| Rocket Raccoon | Baptiste | – Different fire modes can damage enemies or heal teammates – Can amplify teammate damage |
| Mantis | Zenyatta | – Can apply healing orbs to teammates – Similar primary fire – Large area-of-effect healing ultimate |
| Hela | Ashe / Cassidy / Pharah | – Long-range semi-auto hit scan primary like Ashe – Thrown stun item and “roll” like escape like Cassidy – Powerful airborne ultimate that leaves you vulnerable like Pharah |
| Scarlet Witch | Moira if she were a DPS | – Short-range but powerful hitscan beam primary – Launches a sphere (but stuns instead of heals) – Mystic Projection is literally Fade |
| Magneto | Sigma and Reinhardt | – Ranged attacks similar to Sigma – Wide shield held in front like Reinhardt |
| Peni Parker | Wrecking Ball | – Deploys mines – Uses a tether to swing around enemies and harass them – Knockback abilities |
| Groot | If Mei were a melee tank and her walls could attack | – There’s really no apt Overwatch comparison |
| Black Panther | Genji | – Melee-oriented attacks that grant overheal – Charged attacks – Fast and furious up close |
| Magik | Original DPS Doomfist, but pure melee | – Melee oriented attacks that grant overheal – Charged attacks – Overpowering ultimate |
| Loki | Torbjorn if his turrets healed and he had Echo’s ultimate and invisibility | – Turrets (Illusions) that attack enemy players |
| Hawkeye | Hanzo, but better | – Come on, he’s an archer |
| Venom | Winston and Wrecking Ball | – A true dive tank with the ability to deal close damage but also protect himself and teammates |
| Black Widow | Widowmaker | – A sniper in a skintight bodysuit |
| Squirrel Girl | Venture | – Projectile primary – Good escapability |
| Moon Knight | Echo | – Can launch into and glide through the air while launching projectiles |
| Psylocke | Cassidy, but with a spread | – A hitscan hero capable of good damage at mid-range |
| Cloak and Dagger | DPS Moira | – Two characters in one. Cloak deals damage while Dagger heals, so get ready to DPS only! |
The good thing is, with Marvel Rivals’ massive roster of 33 heroes at launch (and many more to come in the months and years ahead), there will be a hero for everyone to jive with once they experiment a little bit.
This article will be updated over time as more heroes are added to the roster.
Published: Dec 4, 2024 11:42 am