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Activision Blizzard is showing its true colors today with the announcement of Overwatch Rivals, a direct competitor to NetEase's Marvel Rivals, which is launching the very same day. This move is a bit strange, considering Marvel Rivals was specifically designed to compete with Overwatch. So now we have Overwatch Rivals, which is made to take on Marvel Rivals, which was designed to battle the original Overwatch. We wouldn't be shocked if NetEase suddenly drops Marvel Rivalwatch, just to complete the circle of blatant circlejerking.
But Blizzard has a big problem: they can't use any Marvel IP. So, in a true Blizzard move, they’ve teamed up with a battalion of copyright lawyers to try and skirt the line of legalities as much as possible. Bless their hearts.
Marvel has one of the most recognizable intellectual properties in the world, thanks to its smash-hit films leading up to Avengers: Endgame. The company has managed to keep that brand recognition alive by releasing approximately 30 new TV shows every year. You know, so audiences have to watch every single one if they want to understand the deep lore behind that mole Spider-Man got in Avengers 13 (or whatever it’s up to now). It’s a strategy of FOMO (fear of missing out) and milking hardcore fans. A tactic that, as we know, works just as well in the worlds of board game Kickstarters and OnlyFans as it does for Marvel movies. So it's no wonder Marvel Rivals is getting buzz—after all, many players have long since moved on from Overwatch 2 and its “edgy” rebranding. They're ready for a fresh coat of paint… even if it's already been sprayed over something else.
While Marvel Rivals has the iconic IP, it faces a steep challenge in competing with the Overwatch legacy of overwhelming search results on sites like Xhamaster and Rule34. But, all publicity is good publicity, right? It wouldn’t surprise us if more people had blasted rope to Overwatch than had actually played it. But unfortunately, Rivals can’t compete in that department, because no one has the guts to input “Iron Fist” into the search engine on Xhamster.
However, Blizzard isn't giving up without a fight. They’re doing their best to recreate the Marvel experience by introducing characters in Overwatch Rivals that are so close to the original IP, no ordinary person would ever notice the difference. Here’s a list of confirmed characters making their way to Blizzard’s Overwatch Rivals, and their... inspired counterparts:
Spider-Man – Spider Mon (A Jamaican arachnid person.)
Doctor Strange – Professor Weird (Magic man with a cape that doesn't even fly.)
Captain America – Captain United States (They almost went with Captain Portugal, but it felt a little too much.)
The Punisher – The Masochist (Known for hurting people with daddy kinks.)
Hawkeye – Darryl from The Walking Dead (Can hit things about 40% of the time.)
Wolverine – Honey Badger (Just an actual honey badger, and honestly, this one sounds awesome.)
Iron Man – Aluminum Man (Built his suit in a cave, said “good enough,” and walked away.)
Black Widow – Sugar Tits (Same outfit as Black Widow, but with more cleavage.)
Thor – Hammer Bro (We’re pretty sure this one is still a copyright infringement.)
Blizzard is clearly trying to hit back at NetEase in a "tit-for-tat" fashion, responding to them for taking their hero-shooter idea and using it for a game that might actually be good. But, just as likely, Marvel Rivals could be forgotten in a month, while Overwatch continues to dominate NSFW search engines worldwide. No matter what happens, we’re just excited to have another free-to-play, hero-based online shooter in the market, because it’s the one thing gamers have been seriously starved for as of late.
Source: Trust me, bro.
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