The world of video gaming and game design can be a bit of an incestuous place to ply a trade at the best of times. It’s all well and good respecting a tried and tested blueprint within a genre, or speak glowingly about your inspirations.
Marvel Rivals: 10 Most Annoying Heroes to Play Against
These superheroes are super good at being annoying to play against.
However, it’s very easy tocross the line into copycat territory. Just ask PocketPair, and they’ll tell you allabout their ongoing lawsuit.
But as long as something is ‘legally distinct’, there’s no case, and that’s something thatMarvel Rivalshas done to skillfully copyOverwatch’shomework and, by extension, leave them reeling with its lowest player count in years.
So, in a bid to show you just how close to the aforementioned line some of these character designs are, we will run through each Marvel Rivals character on release, and discuss how each and every one of them is reminiscent in some way of an Overwatch character.
Cards on the table: some links are more tenuous than others, but I have made a tangible effort to offer the most compatible character for every hero, so I didn’t just cherry-pick the obvious ones.
Every Marvel Rivals Overwatch Counterpart Explained
While no Marvel Rivals character is a like-for-like copy of any Overwatch character, more than a few play distinctly like their Overwatch brethren in one way or another.
So this handy resource should be used to figure out which Marvel Rivals is the closest fit to your Overwatch main, allowing you to jump ship without missing a beat:
Hero/Villian
Overwatch Counterpart
Explanation
Captain America
Mauga/Juno
Captain America has quite a lot in common with Mauga, as their kit relies on the player making use of their ability to sprint, leap, and dive on enemy groups, making them great for breaking enemy lines and catching them off guard. But they also play a little like Juno, as you’ll be able to apply speed buffs to allies courtesy of a snail trail you leave behind.
Doctor Strange
The main reason why anyone plays Symmetra is to make sure fallen teammates can get right back into the thick of the action when they die, and this is exactly why Dr. Strange is such a great character in Marvel Rivals. With their Pentagram of Farallah ability, you’re able to make sure your team always occupies the objective, even when the tide turns.
Magneto is incredibly similar to Sigma in a number of ways. They have a standard fire that feels in line with Sigmas, they have an Ultimate that offers AOE damage in a similar fashion to Sigma’s, and they also have a shield that functions like Sigma’s. If that’s not enough of a like-for-like comparison for you, then I don’t know what else I can do.
If it wasn’t obvious, the clear similarity between the two here is that they can both erect huge walls that can block choke points, trap enemies in closed environments, and offer a moment of respite.
These two heroes are similar due to their dual existence as both a hulking tank, able to absorb loads of damage and deal decent amounts as well. But equally, they can be slain to reveal their true form, which is a very squishy character with just a pistol for protection.
It’s probably not enough to just say they both have hammers, right? Okay, well, to elaborate somewhat, their melee attacks feel comparable, and he can also soak up loads of damage, albeit without a shield. Plus, their Storm Surge ability resembles a mash-up of Reinhardt and Junker Queen’s abilities.
Doomfist/Wrecking Ball
In terms of Venom’s movement, they feel in line with Wrecking Ball, as they both have the ability to swing through the air despite their lumbering frames, not to mention they both have the ability to crash to the ground with devastating effect. However, as a melee combatant, Venom is much more in line with Doomfist as they rely on soaking up damage and landing accurate punches.
Peni Parker
Peni is very much in line with Ana thanks to their Web Snare, as this is as good as briefly putting enemies to sleep, allowing you to get some headshots in. But, they also feel a stone’s throw away from Orisa as they can attach themselves to surfaces to resist any bumps knocking them out of occupied zones.
Black Panther
Black Panther is about as close as you can get to Genji without giving them a katana and Shurikens as they did with Psylocke. Their Spirit Rend dash and cooldown effect is much like Genji’s cooldown reset upon taking down foes. Plus, Black Panther is one of the most agile heroes in the game by a distance. Plus, if you’re good at marking targets, their Ultimates aren’t all that dissimilar, either.
Black Widow
Widowmaker
To state the obvious, they are both snipers, have the ability to pick precise shots miles away from the action, and they have a reasonable enough kit to get out of danger if someone comes to their crow’s nest to stop them. It’s as simple as that, and is one of the most obvious like-for-like heroes.
Serving as the Ying to black Widow’s Yang, Hawkweye is the other viable sniper in the game, and he plays remarkably similar to Hanzo due to their shared weapon of choice, the need for insane levels of accuracy on the player’s part, and their kit having a number of agility-based skills to get them out of danger when the enemy closes the gap. I would argue Hanzo’s Ult is slightly better, but we really are splitting hairs on this one.
Hanzo/Pharah
Hela is a character much like the likes of Hawkeye and Moon Knight, who tend to do their best work away from the action. When doing so, they feel most like Hanzo due to their hyper-accurate projectiles that can deal decent damage in the hands of the right player. But when their Ult is charged they become much like Pharah as they rise to the sky and rain hellfire down from above.
Lucio/Doomfist
It’s in the name, Iron Fist and Doomfist are obviously going to play rather similarly, as these two brawlers let their fists do the talking. But outside of the flurry of fists, Iron Fist has a lot in common with Lucio due to their ability to toggle between stances, heal and then get right back into the action.
Being one of the only characters in Marvel Rivals that can rain down proton hellfire from above without needing to come back down to earth again, this makes Iron Man and Pharah kindred spirits. They primarily use rocket attacks with a small blast radius on impact, and they have an Ultimate that enhances that firepower for a near-guaranteed multi-kill.
Ramattra/Tracer
In terms of Magik’s movement, they feel very much aligned with Tracer, as their Stepping Discs ability feels like a get-out-of-jail-free card that can turn the tables in a 1v1 similar to Tracer’s rewind ability. However, when using their Melee attacks, they are much more in line with Ramattra as she, too, can summon minions to aid her, and her ultimate offers a berserker mode akin to Ramattra’s nemesis form.
Moon Knight
Echo/Cassidy
Moon Knight is a rather versatile character that can be effectively played in a few ways. They can be played like Echo, where they use their skills to burst into the air and glide to vantage points, then use their projectiles with no drop-off from a distance to pick off enemies. Or, they can be used in occupied areas to land headshots from close range with their hyper-accurate standard attacks.
Namor feels like a vague imitation of Torbjörn in many ways. This character has a weapon that handles a little like Torbjörn’s nail gun. Plus, they have the ability to set up little Aquatic spawns around the arena, just as Torbjörn does with turrets.
Genji/Sombra
As a melee character in the thick of battle, Psylocke plays much like Genji due to their Katana attacks, fast-paced movement, and their ability to employ shurikens. However, they are a lot more squishy than their counterpart due to their lack of a deflect ability. Which is why you need to use a Sombra-esque invisibility cloak to get the jump on your enemies at close range.
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch is like the inverse of Moira in many ways, but despite being a much more attacking character, they feel the same but different. Moira is a character that uses their build-up ability to apply healing, whereas Scarlet Witch builds chaos to unleash potent attacks instead. Plus, they can both duck out when things get too heated with their fade and Mystic protection abilities. Different roles, but the core gameplay principles remain mostly the same.
Roadhog/Genji
Spiderman is the perfect blend of Roadhog and Genji. He’s like the former due to his ‘get over here’ ability that allows them to zip to enemies and land a flurry of attacks. But they also have the agility and speed of Genji, allowing them to get out of trouble when breaking enemy lines doesn’t quite go as well as planned.
Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl feels like a slight improvement on the Junkrat kit, maintaining the flak cannon standard attack to bounce bullets off surfaces. Plus, they also have a trap that feels very much in line with Junkrat’s Steel Trap. Not to mention, their Team-Up gives them access to explosives as well. However, they critically have a means of getting out of sticky situations with their tail bounce ability, which serves as a more consistent mobility tool than Concussion Mines.
If you’re looking for a DPS character that feels like-for-like with the poster girl for Overwatch, then you need only look to the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Star Lord has rapid-fire SMGs, can reload them in the blink of an eye, and moves at breakneck speeds, making them a truly slippery customer.
Lucio/Pharah
Storm’s main appeal as a character at this point is that they allow you to buff those around you while levitating and taking pot shots with your wind blades, so they play somewhat like Pharah, but really they play more like Lucio, as she can apply speed boosts with an AOE effect. The only downside being that they aren’t all that agile themselves without buffing their own speed.
The Punisher
Soldier 76/Bastion
The Punisher is the tutorial character for Marvel Rivals, just as Solider 76 is Overwatch’s. This is because they play like a boots-on-the-ground Call of Duty character. But, Punisher also plays a lot like Bastion, as both characters can hunker down and turn into rapid-fire turrets.
Winter Soldier
Roadhog’s main gimmick is that he can pull enemies to their position away from their pocket healer and shoot them until they’re dead. This is exactly what Winter Soldier is good for, as they can use their Bionic Hook in the exact same way.
Orisa/Zarya
I won’t lie, of all the heroes and villains listed, Wolverine feels like one of the most unique. However, if I were to draw any comparisons, it would be to both Zarya and Orisa, mainly because they are both tanks that can be played aggressively as you rack up loads of kills while serving as an effective tank. Wolverine ain’t no tank, but he can constantly stay on the front foot due to their regenerative abilities, making him nearly as good as one in that role.
Strategists
Adam Warlock
Mercy/Zenyatta
Adam Warlock is incredibly similar to Mercy, albeit with a bit more attacking prowess in a pinch. They have the ability to revive fallen allies; they can mimic Mercy’s Valkyrie Healing. But, they also offensively play like Zenyatta due to their projectile attacks being able to stack for a burst effect.
Cloak and Dagger
Moira is Overwatch’s resident half-and-half character, allowing you to balance attack and defense seamlessly through alternate attacks, allowing you to cast healing or projectiles as needed from either hand. But Cloak and Dagger take that one step further, allowing you to swap between two characters seamlessly, with one applying healing with homing projectiles and the other applying constant damage via a dark beam attack.
Jeff The Land Shark
Venture/Illari/Moira
Of all the characters on the OW roster, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a better match for Jeff than Venture, purely because the two characters have the ability to dive under the surface to avoid enemy fire. However, their standard healing beam feels very similar to how Illari does, and he can also cast healing bubbles, not unlike Moira’s healing orbs.
Sombra/Echo
Loki’s kit is all about trickery, which naturally tracks with his character. It’s all smoke and mirrors, and that makes him rather similar to Sombra and Echo. In standard skirmishes his ability to turn invisible makes him play much like Sombra. However, when his Ult is fully charged, he can turn into any existing character on the field and play as them using all their abilities, much like Echo.
Zenyatta/Lucio
As a Zenyatta main myself, I can attest that Zenyatta is very much the inspiration for Luna Snow’s design. Much like Zen, you’ll sit on the back line and fire projectiles at allies to heal them. But, when your Ult is charged, you suddenly become like Lucio as you may apply health or Damage buffs in an AOE and flick between them on a whim. Truly the best of both worlds.
Lifeweaver/Ana
Mantis is a perfect blend of what Lifeweaver and Ana bring to the table. The main similarity between Mantis and Ana is their ability to send their foes to sleep, which makes them a sitting duck in congested spaces. However, they also feel a lot like Lifeweaver due to their healing abilities and buffs being distributed via life orbs.
Rocket Raccoon
Baptiste/Brigette
Rocket Raccoon is a character that feels most in line with Baptiste, mainly due to their ability to fire healing orbs around the immediate area with his secondary fire. Plus, they can use their Jetpack to take to the skies like Baptiste as well. However, they share a lot in common with Brigette as well as they are able to use their Battle Rebirth Beacon to create Armor packs for themselves and others.
Dualshockers Definitives: Best Souls-Likes Of 2024
Looking for a challenge. 2024 was more than happy to oblige.
