Marvel Rivals devs reveal plans for hero roles after launching with way more Duelists

Marvel Rivals has taken the hero shooter genre by storm with its addictive gameplay and cast of characters, but if there was one major criticism with its launch, it’s the amount of Duelists – something the devs have addressed.

At launch, Marvel Rivals released with many more Duelists, basically DPS heroes than Vanguards (tanks) and Strategists (supports), leading to some lopsided team compositions.

Although the devs have no plans to implement a role-queue feature, instead opting for hero bans, players still have many more heroes to choose from when it comes to damage dealers.

In a new interview, the devs explained why they decided to launch with a disproportionate amount of Duelists and what players can expect from other roles, especially with the goal being to release two additional heroes each season.

Marvel Rivals developers explain why the game has so many Duelists

Speaking with Metro, the devs noted that their choice of heroes will be “guided by the overall gameplay experience or theme that we want to create for each season.”

According to the developers, the focus on Duelists is actually good for the game, and the current Strategist and Vanguard totals allow for a “solid variety for tactical match-ups or team composition.”

NetEase Games

“Having more Duelists at the moment will definitely enhance the Duelist experience, letting players dive a little bit deeper into that aspect,” they added.

That said, the team is analyzing feedback for when new heroes are released in an effort to make sure everyone is excited about what’s to come.

As such, expect to see more in the way of Vanguards and Strategists down the line as NetEase aims to keep the momentum going when it comes to giving players more variety.

Season 1 of Marvel Rivals is already off to a hot start, having added Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman to kick things off while The Thing and Human Torch will round out the Fantastic Four with the mid-season update.

The game has also blown up on Steam, with over 600,000 players taking part in the launch of S1.