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. As the game is still in early access, we don’t have an Overwatch comparison for every single Marvel Rivals hero, as we’re still playtesting.
| 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 | Genji, but his ranged is Orisa’s spear |
| Mantis | Zennyata | – 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 | – Extreme maneuverability, including wall climbing – Several engage abilities, including a dash attack | – Melee-oriented attacks that grant overheal – Charged attacks – Overpowering ultimate |
| 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 |
As of writing, Marvel Rivals is currently in its closed alpha test, set to run until May 20.
