"Competition is good, It’s healthy" Overwatch 2 devs share thoughts on Marvel Rivals from NetEase

Marvel Rivals had recently hosted a closed beta test and the response from the community about the game has been very positive. From character design and abilities to gameplay loop, players have described everything as fun. The game is set to release in 2025 but has created a buzz early on.

Many players have also compared the game to another popular hero arena shooter, ‘Overwatch 2’. There is a good reason for that as the game closely resembles Overwatch, but then again, most live service games falling in the same category are somewhat similar.

On the topic, the developers of Overwatch 2 recently shared their opinions for Marvel Rivals during an interview with Flats Two on YouTube. When asked about what they think of these games and do they teach them on how to improve Overwatch.

Responding to the question, Game Director Aaron Keller said that the team is always watching and learning., “It’ll be interesting to see how some of these other games, whether they change over time, also. I think there is a decent part of the gaming community, especially the free-to-play community, that jumps from game to game. The ones that don’t, they kind of become your core audience,” he said.

Adding to the conversation, Lead Hero Designer Alec Dawson also said that competition is always good in any space and helps the team focus on improving. “Competition is good. It’s healthy. And it starts to crystalize what makes your game special. It helps you hyper-focus on those things. I think Overwatch is very special for a lot of reasons, and I think a lot of that is the love and care we put into our heroes,” Dawson said.

Also Read: Amazon reportedly dropping Prime Gaming Rewards for Overwatch 2

Will Marvel Rivals be the Overwatch 2 Killer?

This right here is the million-dollar question and if it had a straightforward answer, people would be millionaires. As for Marvel Rivals, it is quite clear that players will try or shift to the game, the initial response has been great, and it is also free to play.

However, it can also help improve Overwatch to compete on the same level if it reaches higher. As Keller said, most players do not play video games competitively and like to try out different games. The ones that stay are the core audience, and no doubt Marvel Rivals will also have their own. It will be the developers’ responsibility to keep the game fun and retain the players.