This Marvel Rivals feature could be the nail in the coffin for Overwatch 2

Joshua Chu
winston facing off with robot in overwatch 2

One Marvel Rivals leak could, if it comes to light, be the final nail in the coffin in the Marvel Rivals x Overwatch 2 war.

A recent Marvel Rivals leak revealed that a PvE mode may be coming to the popular new hero shooter. The details of a potential PvE mode are slim and likely not far into development if true, but Marvel Rivals has a strong foundation for PvE stories with the potential to draw inspiration from its source material and characters.

Unfortunately, PvE could spell the doom for the game’s main rival, Overwatch 2, a game that was created on the basis of PvE which was later cancelled due to low player engagement.

Marvel Rivals currently has an edge on Overwatch 2 due to its freshness as a new game and some lingering bad will against Overwatch 2. But PvE could be the final nail in the coffin for Overwatch 2 in the hero shooter competition if Rivals is able to deliver.

Overwatch 2 needs to come out swinging to compete with PvE

Fantastic Four in car in Marvel Rivals

Overwatch 2 was originally set to have a major, expansive PvE mode, but made headlines when the content of its PvE mode was toned down significantly until it was eventually cancelled outright. The mishandling of PvE for Overwatch 2 is a major contributor to negative feelings towards the game in the community, as the original game was put on hold so Blizzard could develop the sequel.

Marvel Rivals has dominated the hero shooter space since its release. While it’s a new game which is bound to feel fresher than Overwatch 2 simply with age, Marvel Rivals has succeeded where other competitors couldn’t due to its ability to build off of Overwatch 2’s mechanics and make it its own.

players attacking AI enemies in Overwatch 2 PvE
Players attacking AI enemies in Overwatch 2 PvE

Many Overwatch, content creators have already moved on to Marvel Rivals, praising how different the two design philosophies are. If Marvel Rivals successfully adds in PvE, it will be another reminder of how Marvel Rivals could do something Overwatch 2 spent years attempting to accomplish.

Still, there’s no real indication of what Marvel Rivals PvE could entail. Overwatch 2 continues to hold seasonal PvE events, which could be the extent of what Marvel Rivals does. Overwatch 2 could also decide to re-enter the PvE space and re-engage with the idea in some fashion. If Marvel Rivals’ PvE isn’t too expansive, then it probably won’t make too big of a splash in the community.

Overwatch 2 still has some notable advantages over Marvel Rivals, and in the long term, it’s yet to be seen how these two games compare with each other. Regardless, Overwatch 2 needs to come out swinging no matter what Marvel Rivals decides to do.