I hate being the only tank in Marvel Rivals. It’s a miserable experience, made even worse by players who refuse to learn how to play Vanguards.
This comes from someone with over two thousand hours in Overwatch 2, where a single tank can make or break a game. Marvel Rivals has eight playable Vanguards, with five other players (not including me) who could step up — but why am I still the only one shouldering this role?
RELATED: I’m Excited for Overwatch 2’s Future and Glad Blizzard Is Trying Again
Mind you, I’m currently in Diamond 1 (yes, I know, I’m a scrub), my mains are usually Magneto and Doctor Strange, although sometimes I can go Hulk or Venom.
I can adapt depending on the enemy matchup, yet the grueling war of attrition between me and the three other DPS who refuse to switch is exhausting. There has to be some strange psychological reason for this, or maybe it’s just NetEase’s brilliant matchmaking system, designed to make me suffer.
It has to be an ego thing, right? Almost every competitive game has this issue. There’s always that one DPS or Damage player who refuses to swap, even with only three eliminations and ten deaths. It’s a sad sight, but when you voice your concerns in chat, you’re usually met with a snarky or outright inappropriate response.
I love Marvel Rivals, but this is getting tiresome.
At Diamond rank and above, banning phases are standard, so it’s nice to see players removing the dreaded Wolverine from the lobby — otherwise, I’m getting shredded into mincemeat. At least they care.
But in matches where Wolverine isn’t banned, I’m left relying on my own abilities just to survive his terrifying Adamantium claws. I always fear for my life. Props to my team’s healers, but even they can’t save me from Logan’s unfettered rage.
Sure, being a solo tank helps against a good Wolverine, but it’s lonely tanking all the damage while everyone else is just aiming for enemy heads and waiting for their turn to press Q. It reminds me so much of my Overwatch 2 experience — where solo tanking was just as dreadful. The constant blame game and harassment for not "doing enough" can really get to you.
RELATED: Is Marvel Rivals the Overwatch Killer?
Which brings me to Marvel Rivals. In a game where anyone can play any role without restrictions, why does no one learn how to tank? Do I really have to subject myself to this endless torture — eating all the CC skills, being frozen, slept, immobilized by squirrels, or having my soul whisked away from my body?
It’s frustrating, but I guess that’s just how it goes. I just wish, for once, someone would think, Hey, maybe this guy needs a second tank so he can effectively make more space for the team.