Overwatch players frustrated as Marvel Rivals releases more heroes than OW2 did all year

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As a dedicated gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I find myself in awe of the rapid pace at which Marvel Rivals is introducing new characters to their game. Growing up with Overwatch, I was accustomed to the slow and steady release of new heroes, eagerly awaiting each new addition to the roster.

However, the arrival of Marvel Rivals has turned my world upside down. In just a few short years, they’ve managed to surpass Overwatch in terms of the number of playable characters, adding an astounding 4-5 heroes per season. This is simply unheard of in the gaming industry, and it’s left me feeling like I’ve been left in the dust by the competition.

I remember waiting four long years for Overwatch 2 to release, only to be disappointed by the paltry three new characters that were added to the roster. Now Marvel Rivals is releasing not just one or two heroes per season, but an entire team like the Fantastic Four in a single drop! It’s enough to make any Overwatch fan feel like they’re living in a parallel universe.

I can’t help but feel a twinge of bitterness when I think about the sloppy sequel that is Overwatch 2. But at least I can take solace in knowing that competition between games can be a good thing, as long as it drives the industry to push the envelope and keep things fresh.

On a lighter note, maybe Overwatch will finally catch up to Marvel Rivals’ pace if they start introducing heroes like Hulk and Thor at lightning speed. Then again, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that to happen!

The entire Fantastic Four lineup is set to join Marvel Rivals in Season 1, causing a sense of dismay among Overwatch fans due to the slow release of new heroes.)

Beginning on the following Monday, Marvel Rivals kicks off its inaugural season, introducing the entire Fantastic Four team into the game as playable figures. As a result, the roster of playable characters expands from 33 to 37.

As a gaming enthusiast, I must admit that I never thought the Marvel-themed hero shooter would outshine Overwatch 2 in terms of playable characters. But what’s truly shocking is the rapid pace at which Marvel Rivals is churning out content. This swift blow feels like another nail in Overwatch 2’s coffin, as it seems to be gradually drawing players away from their own game.

Approximately three to four fresh characters are typically introduced in Overwatch 2 each year, except for a significant stretch without any new content during the transition from Overwatch to Overwatch 2. As a result, Overwatch 2 currently boasts 42 playable characters, following almost a decade of gameplay.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve found myself pondering over the distinct styles of two popular games, Marvel Rivals and another unnamed title. While it’s true that each player’s taste is unique (there are universes where Marvel Rivals could potentially flood us with content), the gaming community can’t help but notice the clear contrast between these two games.

Overwatch 2 might need more playable characters

Kelski, a well-known content producer who occasionally discusses Overwatch 2, was the first to point out the significant disparity in content between the two games. “It’s not just that Marvel Rivals is adding as many characters in one season as Overwatch does in an entire year,” he tweeted. Hoshizora, a streamer who plays both Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals, echoed this sentiment by replying, “You got it right.

Marvel Rivals doesn’t introduce as many characters in a single season as Overwatch does throughout an entire year.

— Kelski (@kelskiYT) January 2, 2025

Although it’s been pointed out by some in the community that Marvel Rivals has a more extensive pool of characters to incorporate into the game, Kelski countered this by pointing out that Overwatch 2 benefits from a decade’s worth of lore for the developers to draw inspiration from when creating new characters. He also emphasized that while it may seem like Marvel Rivals is simply adding characters without much thought (which it isn’t), the character kits and team-ups are carefully designed and not haphazardly thrown together.

Some Overwatch 2 enthusiasts are still disgruntled over the seemingly rushed sequel. Overwatch 2 streamer DanielFenner expressed his frustration on Twitter: “We held off for four years, only to find that Overwatch added a ‘2’ to its name and released three heroes. Marvel, however, is set to release four within a month and will have more than Overwatch?

In contrast to Marvel Rivals, which can easily adapt existing characters, Overwatch 2 requires a more complex character creation process since they’re designing characters from scratch. Although this doesn’t directly account for the lack of content released over a decade since Overwatch 2 was first announced, it does offer a plausible explanation for its current release schedule.

@PamPurins” tweeted: “It seems Marvel Rivals may have prepared numerous characters in advance, as their launch was initially set for 2025 but unexpectedly came earlier.” “Marvel benefits from being a globally adored franchise spanning over 50 years, unlike Overwatch.

Marvel’s Rivals rapid-fire content releases might be sparking some competitive spirit in Overwatch 2. While the impact of this rivalry hasn’t shown up substantially in Overwatch 2 yet, the developers have expressed that they view the competition as beneficial.

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2025-01-03 23:00