Hero shooters have been a tired trend for the past few years. Many studios have experimented with the formula only to be met with negative feedback, resulting in their games dying before they even launched. Concord, Paladins, and even other titles that borrowed the hero-shooter formula, like Anthem, suffered heavy setbacks and millions of dollars in losses.
Yet underneath all that chaos, Overwatch 2 remains.
Blizzard’s hero-shooter has been the pioneering franchise that sparked the hero-shooter surge over the past decade, and every title that came after has borrowed familiar mechanics from Overwatch, most notably NetEase’s own hero shooter, Marvel Rivals.
Oddly enough, I’ve been juggling playtime between both games since Rivals came out. While both games have their strengths, there are too many inconsistencies in Marvel Rivals’ design that frustrate me. Janky controls, buggy abilities, and optimization issues make the game less enjoyable the longer I play. Part of me thinks NetEase originally planned for Marvel Rivals to be a mobile game before shifting it to consoles, since the community for hero shooters is much larger there.
Overwatch 2, on the other hand, remains the most polished hero-shooter on the market. You never feel lost when wondering what killed you, nor do you get overwhelmed by endless visual clutter with dozens of ultimate effects exploding on screen. The game feels clean. Despite the common claim that it’s a “dead game,” Overwatch 2 has never been in better shape, thanks to major updates like Stadium Mode and a more lenient progression system.
Marvel Rivals, meanwhile, has seen a slight decrease in its Steam player base over the past few months, mostly due to its matchmaking issues. While NetEase is constantly working on fixes, the frustration is often too much for players, especially at higher ranks.
Where Overwatch 2 truly shines is in its Role Queue system, which solves many matchmaking problems common in other hero shooters at the cost of longer queue times. Roles are locked, meaning players stick to their assigned role, and you don’t see lobbies overloaded with DPS heroes.
And no, this isn’t a case of comparing apples to oranges. It’s clear NetEase has taken inspiration from Blizzard’s shooter, from escort-style Payload objectives to hero archetypes spread across three major roles.
Whenever I play Marvel Rivals, I can’t help but compare it to Overwatch 2. The difference in polish is night and day. Overwatch 2 continues to feel seamless and smooth, bolstered by a steady stream of content that builds on its 2016 foundation with third-party crossovers like the recent Persona 5 and Cowboy Bebop. Now, it has continued to grow even further with its surprisingly fun Stadium mode.
Marvel Rivals is still playing catch-up with seasonal events and one-off game modes that fail to draw in new players. Its most notable feature right now is the ambitious “one hero per month” plan, where we see iconic and obscure Marvel characters get the spotlight, along with a handful of impressive paid cosmetics.
Overwatch 2 continues to impress me despite its age. It remains one of the most solid hero shooters I’ve ever played. Few games have captured that same feeling, though it’s only a matter of time before Marvel Rivals can match its polish and attention to detail. But right now? I’d say Overwatch 2 takes the cake.
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