Marvel Rivals is preparing for a full launch, and now that players have been able to check it out on PC and consoles thanks to an alpha and beta, we have a good idea of how each of the Marvel Rivals characters play and their lore background in this universe.
In this guide, we have compiled the most detailed and thorough breakdown of the full Marvel Rivals roster that NetEase has revealed so far and that has been available in the betas. Each character has a full breakdown of their lore in-game, their combat abilities, the role they play, and more below.
‘Marvel Rivals’ characters
There are 23 confirmed Marvel Rivals characters so far:
- Adam Warlock
- Black Panther
- Bruce Banner / Hulk
- Captain America
- Doctor Strange
- Groot
- Hela
- Iron Man
- Jeff The Land Shark
- Loki
- Luna Snow
- Magik
- Magneto
- Mantis
- Namor
- Peni Parker
- Rocket Raccoon
- Scarlet Witch
- Spider-Man
- Star-Lord
- Storm
- The Punisher
- Thor
- Venom
- Winter Soldier
Adam Warlock
- Role: Strategist
- Difficulty: 2/5
Abilities and gameplay
Adam Warlock acts as a support character, healing and reviving his allies. That is the role of the Strategist and Adam is one of the stronger ones, although not as flexible as others. He doesn’t do that much damage despite having a long-range staff which fires bolts of quantum energy. He can also use a charged attack called Cosmic Cluster, firing off several bolts of energy at once.
But his main role is to support his team and that is where Soul Bond comes in. This ability unites the souls of your allies, granting them healing over time and distributing damage taken by any of them across everyone. This allows you to push forward without having your main Vanguard die quickly or to even out damage and avoid losing a low-health character.
Avatar Life Stream plays into this linked nature between Adam and his allies, as you can target an ally with it to heal them and also yourself. You can also heal yourself at any point by not targeting someone. Pair that with Adam’s passive, Regenerative Cocoon, and Adam can respawn after dying quickly in a spot of his choice nearby and stay alive more consistently. A good Adam Warlock player will rarely be out of action.
Finally, Adam can also use his Karmic Revival ultimate, which will revive any downed allies in his vacinity, although with lower health than normal. They are also invincible for a brief period of time after reviving.
Lore
“Adam Warlock was created to be the perfect specimen. Able to manipulate powerful cosmic forces, he represents the full potential of what we could one day become. Until then, he stands alone as a shining golden beacon of all that is good within us.
When the Timestream Entanglement struck, Adam Warlock reflexively shielded himself in a protective cocoon. During his quantum preservation, his cosmic senses identified an impending threat capable of plunging the Multiverse into darkness. Upon awakening, Adam’s journey lead him to the darkest reaches of the universe: the alien planet Klyntar…”
Black Panther
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 4/5
Abilities and gameplay
As a Duelist, Black Panther will be dealing the most damage on your team, but he is one of the trickier characters to learn. He is mostly a melee-based character, with regular claw swipes as his main attack.
He can pair it with a Spear Toss. This throws a Vibranium Spear from afar that creates a Vibranium Force Field marking enemies and dealing a small amount of damage. However, at low health, Black Panther will do more damage with all of his abilities and attacks, which is a nice boon for the character overall.
Subtle Step is his movement ability, and it allows him to run on a wall and detach after performing a jump from the top of it. His other movement abilities are focused on attacking during them. Spinning Kick, allows him to spiral forward and mark enemies in similar way to his Vibranium Spear while dealing damage.
Sprint Rend is a fast lunge forward, dealing damage and also marking enemies hit. Hitting these marked enemies again will refresh the ability and also boost Black Panther’s health briefly.
Finally, his ultimate is Bast’s Descent. Summoning the spirit Bast, it will pounce forward and deal a chunk of damage while attaching a mark to enemies. It will also refresh Sprint Rend once again.
Lore
“King T’Challa of Wakanda is more than just the ruler of the most advanced civilization known to man. He also wears the mantle of the Black Panther, the sacred protector of his people. It is his sworn duty to ensure Wakanda’s continued survival against any threat imaginable.
T’Challa recently expanded his reign into the cosmos, creating the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. As he awaits a sign from Bast to tell him if either Doom can be trusted, he protects the Empire’s Chronovium supply and shares its tech with trusted allies – including Reed Richards.”
Bruce Banner / Hulk
- Role: Vanguard
- Difficulty: 4/5
Abilities and gameplay
Bruce Banner is one of the tankiest characters in the game, and he is also unique, as when he dies as Hulk, he will pop back out and be able to run around with a pistol. As such, he has two distinct forms, although you will spend most of your time as the Hulk. He is also a Vanguard, acting as the initiator in a fight and pushing objectives at the front of the line.
First off, as Bruce, you have low health, so you don’t want to spend too long in your human form. You also have a Gamma Ray Gun, which is a semi-automatic pistol that deals decent damage but is nothing special.
You also have a Gamma Grenade, which inflicts a small amount of damage on enemies and knocks them into the air briefly.
Upon transforming into Hulk, you will enter ‘Hero Hulk’ form. This is Bruce’s powered-up form. In this form, you have a regular set of punches as your main attack, as well as Indestrucible Guard which generates gamma shields for Hero Hulk and nearby allies, absorbing damage and converting it into energy for Hulk. He also has Gamma Burst as an attack, which is a ranged hand clap dealing damage from afar.
Radioactive Lockdown allows the Hulk to emit gamma energy for a moment and place opponents in a quantum void that renders them immobilised and immune to all ability effects.
Finally, Hulk’s movement ability is a leap that can be charged to jump forward in a direction.
Hero Hulk’s ultimate is called Hulk Smash and it turns the Hulk into his suped-up version of the hero. This form lasts for a limited time and unlocks some new abilities. The main one is World Breaker, which allows you to grab an enemy and smash them into the ground.
You also have access to the other abilities and attacks that Hero Hulk has. Your punches will also do more damage and fling enemies backwards.
Lore
“Caught in the detonation of a powerful weapon of his own invention, Dr. Bruce Banner absorbed gamma radiation that transforms him into a massive green monster whenever his emotions rage out of control. As Banner, he’s still a genius. But as the Hulk, he’s the strongest one there is!
Banner developed a special Gamma Belt to control his transformations and temper the Hulk’s fury. But when the Timestream Entanglement transformed Los Diablos Missile Base into a demonic battleground, he realised that the best way to fight monsters was to let out the one within.”
Captain America
- Role: Vanguard
- Difficulty: 2/5
Abilities and gameplay
Captain America shares a lot of gameplay similarities with Thor, in that he is focused around pushing enemies rather than necessarily blocking damage. His basic attack exemplifies this. Sentinel Strike is a short-range punc. Landing the second hit in a combo will initiate a shield throw that can ricochet and hit enemies.
Captain America’s main movement ability is leading dash – a boost that increases his speed and allows him to jump higher thanks to Fearless Leap. He also has access to Vibranium Energy Saw. This allows him to infuse his shield with energy and hurl it in a straight line towards enemies. On top of that, he also has a dash, which is a short-range boost forward while raising his shield.
By combining all these abilities, Captain America can then use his Super-Soldier Slam ability to full effect, slamming into the ground and knocking enemies airborne. Despite focusing on being aggressive, Captain America does have a defensive ability. Living Legend allows him to block incoming fire and projectiles and send them ricocheting in random directions.
Finally, Captain America’s ultimate ability is Freedom Charge. This is an active stat buff that he can activate, allowing him and the team to push forward while gaining bonus health and movement speed.
Lore
“In hopes of serving his country during World War II, young Steve Rogers volunteered for an experiment that enhanced his strength, speed, and agility, making him America’s first super soldier. As Captain America, he proudly fought enemy forces until he became frozen in ice and lost to the ages.
Discovered and unthawed in the 2080s, Captain America began battling the threats of tomorrow — including Doom 2099 — until he was displaced into the present by the Timestream Entanglement. Now, he fights alongside the Avengers to prevent the desperate future in which he awoke.”
Doctor Strange
- Role: Vanguard
- Difficulty: 3/5
Abilities and gameplay
Doctor Strange is a character based around protecting your team while pushing forward at the front of the group. His Shield of Seraphim ability is his main tool, creating a protective barrier that can take 800 damage.
He can also deal damage from afar with his shield down, firing projectile Daggers of Denark, which travel slowly but deal a decent chunk of damage.
Movement-wise, thanks to the Cloak of Levitation, Doctor Strange can ascend and enter a period of sustained flight.
His other abilities include the Maelstrom of Madness. This is a Dark Magic attack that can be fired to deal damage at close range, acting as an area-of-effect attack. Accumulating this Dark Magic is also a negative for Strange. Each regular hit will build it up thanks to his Price of Magic passive, and he will need to release it every now and again. Otherwise, Strange won’t be able to heal.
Doctor Strange also has a unique abilities, unlike any other character. This is Pentagram of Farallah. This allows Strange to place two portals in two different locations, acting as a shortcut and an escape for both his team and his opponents.
Finally, Strange has his Eye of Agamoto ultimate. This stuns enemies, separating the souls from their bodies and allowing you to damage their souls freely. The damage dealt will then be transferred to their physical bodies.
Lore
“Respected surgeon Stephen Strange was forced to seek a different path when his hands were injured in a terrible accident. Devoting himself to the mystic arts, Strange became this dimension’s first line of defence against supernatural threats – the Sorcerer Supreme.
Sensing a massive temporal disturbance, Doctor Strange performed an arcane ritual to protect his reality. The spell failed, and Strange and his Sanctum Sanctorum became trapped within the Mirror Dimension. Lost in the timestream, Strange uses his mystic mastery to free himself for short spans of time in order to join the fight.”
Groot
Abilities and gameplay
- Role: Vanguard
- Difficulty: 1/5
Groot is one of the easier heroes to learn in Marvel Rivals. He has a number of abilities that help him protect his team from the front line and also deal solid damage. The first is his Thornslash Wall. Groot can target a location and grow a wall that blocks off paths and also strikes nearby enemies when him or his allies are near it.
This is possible thanks to his passive Flora Colossus, which Awakens these walls when your team is close.
On top of that, Groot has a larger wall called the Ironwood Wall. This can be targeted in a location, and when nearby, it will Awaken, granting Groot and your allies nearby health based on the damage you deal.
Groot can also throw a long-range spore bomb, which splits into multiple explosive spores. His main attack is a regular vine strike, which allows him to extend his arms and attack opponents.
Finally, his ultimate is Strangling Prison. This fires a massive vine cluster on the ground, pulling enemies towards its centre and also locking them in place.
Lore
“He is Groot, a flora colossus from the branch world of Planet X capable of manipulating plant matter and regrowing his damaged body from a single splinter. The hero at the heart of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot may not have many words to say, but his actions always speak for themselves.
Groot accompanied Star-Lord and Rocket on a scouting mission to Klyntar, where they became stranded after their ship was shot down. Klyntar’s dark king, Knull, now seeks to corrupt Groot’s regenerative powers in an effort to cultivate the ultimate symbiote.”
Hela
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 3/5
Abilities and gameplay
Hela acts as a long-range, sniper-like Duelist, picking enemies off from afar in a match and dodging attacks from the air. Her Nightsword Thorns are long-range, precise shots that can deal quick, sustained damage.
Astral Flock allows her to transofrm into a fleet of crows and glide in the direction she is looking, while Hel’s Descent can be used to fall slowly once you are in the air. Each enemy Hela defeats will also generate a Nastrond Crow at their death location, exploding shortly after death, making her incredibly deadly from above and when she catches a team clumped together.
Soul Drainer allows Hela to project an explosive Hel sphere in front of her, pulling enemies towards each other and stunning them for a brief moment. Her last ability is Piercing Night.
This ability allows Hela to fire multiple Nightsword Thorns from around her that travel towards enemies and explode after a short delay, making her a great artillery character from high up on the map or the corner of an objective.
Finally, her ultimate is Goddess of Death. This allows her to soar in the sky and enter a first-person, bird’s-eye view. From this view, she can unleash Nastrond Crows from each hand that explode on the ground beneath her after impact.
Lore
“The Asgardian Goddess of Death, Hela is a powerful sorceress who controls an endless army of undead warriors. She has long sought to expand her domain beyond the nether realms and will make any deal that benefits her goal. Hela will not rest until all souls-living and dead-are hers to command.
Hela offered to support Loki’s coup in exchange for an extension of Hel’s territory into the realm of the living. In truth, though, she seeks to claim Yggsgard’s throne-and the temporal power that comes with it–for herself.”
Iron Man
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 2/5
Abilities and gameplay
Iron Man is an aerial-based Duelist, almost never needing to touch the ground and firing on opponents from above with lasers, missiles, and bombs. Iron Man has two basic attacks. His Repulsor Blasts are regular nano pulse cannon shots that deal slight explosive damage. He also has a Unibeam attack, which acts as sustained laser piercing across a battlefield in a straight line.
He can then boost these attacks with his Armor Overdrive ability. This will put his suit into overdrive, enhancing the damage of both the Repulsor Blasts and Unibeam. Iron Man can also fly around completely freely with his movement ability, Hyper Velocity.
Finally, he also has the Micro-Missible Barrage. When either Armor Overdrive or Hyper Velocity is activated, Iron Man can launch a missile bombardment where he is aiming.
Additionally, the ultimate weapon at Iron Man’s disposal is Invincible Pulse Cannon. This is a huge bomb that can be fired in an area, dealing catastrophic damage to enemies caught in its blast.
Lore
“Wounded by a weapon of his own design, billionaire inventor Tony Stark created a custom-made suit of armor to keep himself alive. Though his wounds have healed, his upgraded armor now saves the lives of countless others when Tony dons it to become the world’s greatest fighting machine-the invincible Iron Man!
When the legions of the night descended upon New York City, Iron Man and his fellow Avengers turned their tower into a stronghold. From there, Tony leads the effort to unravel the mysteries of Chronovium and to reverse the Timestream Entanglement.”
Jeff The Land Shark
- Role: Strategist
- Difficulty: 2/5
Abilities and gameplay
Unlike most of the other Strategists in the game, Jeff is one of the most aggressive, built for a balanced playstyle of both damage-dealing and healing, despite his adorable persona.
His main attacks are Joyful Splash, a consistent healing beam that can be fired at allies to heal them during a moment of downtime or to consistently heal them through damage, allowing them to take on some of the tankier Vanguards in the game. Jeff also has a adamage dealing regular fire in the form of Aqua Burst. This is a semi-automatic water sphere that bursts on impact, dealing damage to anyone within its radius.
Additionally, Jeff can also heal allies by placing Healing Bubbles around the arena, which provide instant healing when picked up and boost any additional healing received by Jeff or his allies.
Jeff can also dart under the ground and wall climb thanks to his Hide And Seek ability, allowing him to escape danger or flank around a group of enemies to perform his ultimate. Due to Jeff’s adorable form, his passive ability, Oblivious Cuteness, means that any damage he takes from critical hits will also be reduced.
Finally, Jeff’s ultimate ability is ‘It’s Jeff!’. This allows him to go underground, swallow up allies and enemies, and then chew on them for a few seconds if they are caught in his whirlpool. He can then spit his allies and enemies out separately, dropping his allies off in a safe place on the objective or leading the enemies into danger, spitting them off of the map entirely.
Lore
“What’s more huggable than a puppy, but hungrier than a great white? It’s Jeff! This baby land shark may be one of the most unusual and adorable creatures to ever waddle his way out of the ocean. But anyone who’s crossed Jeff’s path can tell you that behind his sweet little bark is one nasty bite!
After getting captured and displayed as a curiosity at the Collector’s Theme Park, Jeff broke free when the Timestream Entanglement scrambled reality. Now’s his chance to prove he’s a hero, one chomp at a time!”
Loki
- Role: Strategist
- Difficulty: 4/5
Abilities and gameplay
Loki is a disruptor and a rogue, sneaking behind enemy lines and also confusing them with his clones. These clones are doppelgangers that can be projected in a location to create an illusion, firing off some of Loki’s spells and basic attacks.
He can place several of these clones at once, as well as become invisible and conjure another illusion, popping back out of his invisibility after a short while. On top of that, he can also freely switch between any of them. While confusing the enemy team, he can fire off his Mystical Missiles, which are basic damage-dealing projectiles. However, if you fire them at your team, you will heal them.
Loki also has access to a Regeneration Domain, a small magical healing field that converts damage taken by allies into healing energy.
His next ability is a short-range melee attack. Loki can pull out a dagger to stab enemies, dealing extra damage from behind, if you manage to flank using your illusions.
Finally, Loki can use God of Mischief. This ultimate ability allows him to shapeshift into a targeted ally or enemy and use all of their abilities and weapons (besides their team-up ability).
Lore
“Born the son of Laufey, king of the Frost Giants, Loki was adopted by Odin and raised as a prince of Asgard. But his true nature could not be undone, and Loki would come to fully embrace his role as the God of Mischief.
With his father deep in the Odinsleep, Loki seized his chance to take the throne for himself. After enlisting Hela in his plot and hurling his brother Thor into a distant timeline, Loki now harvests Chronovium sap from the World Tree, Yggdrasill, in an effort to conquer the entire timestream.”
Luna Snow
- Role: Strategist
- Difficulty: 2/5
Abilities and gameplay
Luna Snow is a recent addition to Marvel, first appearing in 2019. As a K-pop superstar, she uses her musical abilities and powers to heal and support your team, amplifying their enthusiasm in a fight. This is mainly done through her ultimate ability: Fate of Both Worlds.
This is an aura that she casts around her by dancing. With it activated, Luna Snow can either heal allies or grant them a damage boost, depending on which mode is active. These modes can be switched between freely.
When not dancing, Luna Snow is able to fire ice shots that damage enemies or heal allies. Additionally, she has a freezing ice attack called Absolute Zero. This fires a clump of ice, dealing damage and freezing the enemy. It also heals Luna Snow slightly. Ice Arts is a several-second-long barrage of ice shards that can be fired at allies to heal them or at enemies to deal more damage. Following that up are her passive abilities, Cryo Heart and Smooth Skate.
The former is an automatic heal whenever Luna Snow starts casting Ice Arts or Absolute Zero. The latter is the ability to skate around after travelling forward for a period of time, allowing her to traverse the map faster and jump higher.
Luna Snow also has Share The Stage. This is an Idol Aura that can be attached to an ally. Any health restored by allies from Luna Snow will also be transferred to the ally with the aura attached.
Lore
“Luna Snow is more than just another K-Pop superstar. She’s also a symbol of hope for her entire generation. Using her ice powers to keep tensions across the world cool, Luna has become a musical diplomat, ready to face any conflict that may arise.
Tragedy nearly struck during Luna Snow’s summer concert when a wounded Atlantean creature caused a devastating tsunami. Luna’s ice held back the rushing tide and helped to heal the beast’s injuries. She singlehandedly saved countless lives and prevented the situation from escalating into a full-scale conflict between South Korea and the world beneath the waves.”
Magik
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 3/5
Abilities and gameplay
Magik is an initiator in every sense of the word. She starts the attack on an objective, enters first, and aims to deal as much damage as possible while also keeping the opponent’s attention away from your team while they infiltrate a point.
Her basic form comes with a regular sword slash that has a long melee range. Additionally, she has Umbral Incursion. This is a dashing attack that allows her to charge forward briefly and then deliver a devastating uppercut. She can pair this with Stepping Discs, a short-range teleport opening up a portal that can get her past an obstacle or an enemy to deliver devastating hits with her sword.
Eldritch Whirl is a wide spinning attack that can hit multiple enemies around Magik. It is great to use after a short teleport or an uppercut slash.
Magik has even more abilities. Magik Slash is an alternate form of her melee attack, but instead of being used up close, it can be charged to deliver an arcing long-range slash from a distance. Finally, Magik also has Demon’s Rage, which allows her to spawn a small demon that attacks enemies.
While dealing this damage, Magik can also covert any damage she does into bonus health thanks to her passive, Limbo’s Might, ability.
But she ain’t done there. Her ultimate ability allows her to transform into her Darkchild form. This is a powered-up version of herself where all her abilities are boosted, dealing more damage and having an increased range and effectiveness.
Lore
“Born with the Mutant ability to create portals that allow her to teleport through the nether realm called Limbo, Illyana Rasputin augmented her natural gifts with powerful sorcery and an arcane sword fueled by souls to become the warrior known as Magik.
As the ruler of Limbo, Magik has been serving as a general in a timeline- spanning war across dimensions, battling malevolent gods and demons. She frequently confers with her Mutant allies on Krakoa, discussing their species’ best chances for survival in the wake of the Timestream Entanglement.”
Magneto
- Role: Vanguard
- Difficulty: 2/5
Abilities and gameplay
Magneto is one of the easier tanky Vanguard characters to learn. His abilities are pretty basic, but quite strong. The first is Metallic Curtain. This is a horizontal shield which can be used to block projectiles and gunfire. He can also conjure a shield around a chosen ally. Any damage taken by them will convert into rings on Magneto’s back.
Those rings can be used with Mag Cannon. This converts any rings stocked up into a huge cannon, launching a metallic mass at enemies. The more rings, the bigger the damage, with the potential to even knock enemies back. Additionally, Iron Bulwark can be used to protect himself, with any damage taken by him creating rings on his back that can be transformed into Mag Cannon.
Magneto’s basic abilities are a regular projectile fire called Iron Valley and Magnetic Descent. This is a levitate that enables him to fall slowly from high up in the air.
Finally, Magneto can use Meteor M. This ultimate alters the magentic field on the map, drawing in all projectiles and materials nearby to forge a massive iron meteor that can be thrown from the air, dealing immense damage.
Lore
“Max Eisenhardt was born with a near-limitless Mutant ability to manipulate magnetic fields. Suffering a lifetime of brutal persecution, Magneto made it his mission to ensure the survival of Mutantkind, no matter the cost. His unyielding crusade often puts him at odds with other Mutants who seek more peaceful ways to coexist with humanity.
Magneto led the campaign to gather the planet’s Mutant population and transport them decades into the future to a safe haven on the sentient island Krakoa, protecting his brethren from the growing dangers of the wider world.”
Mantis
- Role: Strategist
- Difficulty: 1/5
Abilities and gameplay
Mantis is one of the easiest healers to get to grips with in the game. She has easy abilities that look overwhelming at first, but aren’t too tricky to get your head around.
Like most Strategists, she is not a damage dealer, despite having Life Energy Blasts that can deal solid damage. Landing a critical hit with these blasts will regain one Life Orb (more on that later), so you do want to be firing off shots – just don’t focus on kills. She can also throw a spore to sedate an enemy, locking them in place and disabling all their abilities for a few moments.
With the Life Orbs she gains, she can consume them in several ways. With Allied Inspiration, she can consume a Life Orb to grant allies nearby a damage boost. Natural Anger allows her to consume a Life Orb to grant herself a damage boost, while Healing Flower will consume an orb to heal allies over time.
Additionally, her passive, Nature’s Favour, allows her to heal over time when consuming a Life Orb, allowing her to stay alive while in the middle of a fight as she is protecting her team. This passive also gives Mantis a movement boost when she is not injured.
Finally, Soul Resurgence is an area-based support ultimate that heals allies over time and provides them with a movement boost if they are in her vacinity. Excess healing beyond an ally’s maximum health will also convert to bonus health for her and her team.
Lore
“Mantis always knows exactly how you’re feeling, thanks to her strong empathic powers. Her alien ability to alter the emotions of others comes in handy on the battlefield, but Mantis only finds true happiness for herself when she is with her fellow Guardians of the Galaxy.
After being captured by the Collector and put on display at his theme park, Mantis managed to escape with the help of her fellow captives, Sai and Jeff. Now, Mantis travels the spaceways in hopes of reuniting with her team, while welcoming other displaced souls into the Guardians’ found family.”
Namor
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 2/5
Abilities and gameplay
Namor acts as a lone wolf and summoner Duelist. With his Aquatic Dominion ability, he can summon a Monstro Spawn that attacks enemies on its own. Additionally, he can buff himself with Blessing of the Deep, a protective barrier that launches him into the air and negates all damage. He is unable to use any other abilities during this, though.
Namor’s main attacks are a trident toss, which launches the trident forward and also reduces the cooldown of his Aquatic Dominion ability with each hit. He also has access to Warth of The Seven Seas. This is another trident toss that damages enemies with a small splash radius on the trident, beyond its initial impact location. After using this attack, Namor can direct all Monstro Spawn on the map to perform an enhanced attack on the enemy.
Finally, Namor’s ultimate is Horn of Proteus. This summons Giganto, a giant mutant creature that leaps atop enemies within range and disables their mobility abilities.
Lore
“Born of a union between a human and an Atlantean, Namor has always been a man of two worlds. But while he proudly rules those who dwell beneath the waves, those who live on the surface have long earned Namor’s ire.
After decades of simmering tension, Namor has finally decided that the time is right to strike at the surface world. He has sought the aid of his Mutant allies living in the future on Krakoa to aid him as he sets his sights on a new prize: Jeju Island.”
Peni Parker
- Role: Vanguard
- Difficulty: 3/5
Abilities and gameplay
Peni and her suit are trappers, aiming to keep enemies locked in place, disabled, and stunned while your team pushes an objective and is buffed along the way. This is mainly done through her Bionic Spider Nest. This can be placed in a targeted area to spawn Spider Drones over time, creating a set of Cyber-Webs that grant allies healing over time and a movement boost.
This can be paired with her Arachno-Mines, which can be fired normally or concealed within Cyber-Webs to deal damage. When a Cyber-Web is down, Peni can shoot a Cyber Bond. This links her to a Cyber-Web or a targeted location to allow her to pull herself forward.
Peni can also use her Cyber-Webs to entangle enemies. When fired with her Cyber-Web Snare ability, the Cyber-Web will immobilise enemies. If it misses, a Cyber-Web will be placed on the ground, granting the same healing and movement buffs. Peni is also able to crawl on vertical surfaces, giving her a good level of mobility despite her suit.
Finally, her ultimate Spider-Sweep attack enhances her suit, allowing her to run around and knock enemies backwards. At the same time, the suit is also deploying Arachno-Mines, Spider-Drones, and Cyber Webs around her as she moves, coating an area with the traps.
Lore
“After the death of her father, Peni Parker inherited the experimental mech-suit known as SP//dr. In order to control the suit, Peni had to allow herself to be bitten by the irradiated arachnid that controls its CPU, forming a psychic bond between them.
Now, Peni and SP//dr keep the people of Shin-Shibuya safe, just like her father did before her. But their mission is bigger than just one city. Since the Timestream Entanglement, Peni and SP//dr have devoted themselves to the protection of the Web of Life and Destiny and the countless realities it connects.”
Rocket Raccoon
- Role: Strategist
- Difficulty: 1/5
Abilities and gameplay
Rocket is another healer. He has some pretty powerful weapons to sit alongside his support abilities, though, making him a good initial choice. Those weapons include his machine gun, which has two modes: Bombard Mode and Repair Mode. This weapon in Bombard Mode deals a lot of damage and can hit enemies from afar with surprising accuracy.
In Repair Mode, the weapon will fire bouncing spheres that heal allies nearby. This can be paired with his B.R.B. beacon. This Battle Rebirth Beacon revives a fallen ally and produces armour packs for you and your allies and rocket jet packs for Rocket himself.
He also has great movement. He can dash forward with Jetpack Dash, and his passive abilities allow him to freely jetpack around an arena, climb walls, and glide down to the ground thanks to Wild Crawl and Flying Ace.
Finally, Rocket’s ultimate, C.Y.A., is a Cosmic Yarn Amplifier, granting all allies in the range of the device a substantial damage boost.
Lore
“He may look cute and fuzzy at first glance, but the space ranger known as Rocket has a bite just as nasty as his attitude. Fortunately, he puts his uncanny technical aptitude to use for good as a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
When Star-Lord signed on for a mission to explore Klyntar, Rocket tagged along for some easy target practice shooting symbiotes. But when their ship crashed, Rocket unexpectedly found himself in a fight for his life, trying to keep his fellow Guardians safe until help arrived.”
Scarlet Witch
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 1/5
Abilities and gameplay
Scarlet Witch is one of the most powerful magic-wielders in the game right now. Her regular Chaos Control fire uses strong streams of Chaos Energy to continuously damage opponents within range.
She also has a powerful Chthonian Burst attack, which is a set of Chaos Energy explosive missles that deal significantly more damage and can be used from a distance. Scarlet Witch can also travel freely in any direction thanks to her Mystic Projection. When in the air, she can also fall slowly to the ground, allowing her to hover for a brief period.
On top of that, she also has access to Dark Seal. This is a grenade-like ability that can be thrown into an area. Hitting a target or a point on the map will deal some damage and also generate a force field that periodically stuns enemies every second or so within its range. It is incredibly effective and potent in matches on any map or mode.
Finally, she can use Reality Erasure. This is a powerful magic attack. After activating, she can fly around freely, charging Chaos Energy and unleashing it in the area around her to deal huge damage. This damage explodes in all directions, so you can hit enemies next to you, above you, or beneath you.
Lore
“Wanda Maximoff’s ability to manipulate chaos magic makes her one of the most powerful living beings in the universe. As the Scarlet Witch, she seeks to harness that chaos, restoring some semblance of order to a world that is constantly on the brink of destruction.
Since the Timestream Entanglement, chaos magic is one of the few forces holding the threads of reality together. Should her powers fail, the Scarlet Witch truly believes that this universe will disintegrate, along with everyone in it. It is a fate she refuses to allow… no matter the cost…”
Spider-Man
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 5/5
Abilities and gameplay
Spider-Man is easily the hardest character in the game to learn currently. His abilities, low health, and weaknesses make him incredibly tricky to use. But masters with the webslinger are already showing just what is possible with the tools in his kit.
Of course, Spider-Man’s main movement ability is a Web-Swing. This is a traditional swing that can attach anywhere, unlike Venom’s movement ability. With his webs, Spider-Man can also shoot a Web-Cluster that deals damage and attaches a Spider-Tracer to an enemy, or he can punch enemies up close. He also has a double jump by default.
In addition to swinging, Spider-Man can also crawl and run on walls, and thanks to his Spidey Sense, he will be alerted when enemies are nearby.
He can also fire webbing to reel an enemy in. If that target has already been tagged by a Spider-Tracer, Spider-Man will pull himself towards them instead – giving him an impressive amount of flexibility in combat. In addition, Spider-Man can perform an uppercut, which deals extra damage if that enemy has been marked with a Spider-Tracer.
Finally, Spider-Man’s ultimate is Spectacular Spin. This is an area-of-effect ability that launches web clusters all around him, stunning enemies and damaging them greatly.
Lore
“Bitten by a radioactive spider, young Peter Parker gained the ability to cling to almost any surface, a “spider-sense” that warns him of danger, and the proportional speed, strength, and agility of an arachnid. Now, he strives to use his great power responsibly as the wall- crawling wonder known as Spider-Man.
Since the Timestream Entanglement, Spider-Man has been swinging between two battlefronts. When he’s not rallying New York’s heroes to fight against ancient forces of darkness, he’s busy protecting the Web of Life and Destiny with his fellow Web-Warriors in Tokyo 2099.”
Star-Lord
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 2/5
Abilities and gameplay
Star-Lord is a dashing, flying, darting nuisance to many in Marvel Rivals. His abilities allow him to jump into the action and fly back out relatively quickly. His Rocket Propulsion Boots are the main method of doing this, giving him a huge boost forward whether he is in the air or on the ground.
When in the middle of the action, Star-Lord’s Element Guns act like two mini SMGs, with a fast-fire rate and low-to-moderate damage. He can also use his Blaster Barrage, which is a spinning attack that fires a frenzy of shots in all directions, damaging anyone at close range.
If Star-Lord needs to get out of the action, or dodge an attack, he can also use his Stellar Shift ability. This is a small flip, which reloads his guns and allows him to dodge in the direction he is moving in.
Star-Lord also has a solid ultimate ability: Galactic Legend. This enables free-flight for his Rocket Propulsion Boots, allowing him to fly into the air and also lock onto enemies and shoot from afar with pinpoint accuracy.
Lore
“Half human. Half alien. All awesome. That’s how Peter Quill, the space outlaw called Star-Lord, would probably describe himself. And as leader of the spacefaring heroes known as the Guardians of the Galaxy, he’s saved the universe enough times to actually live up to his legends.
At Shuri’s request, Star-Lord led a scouting mission to the surface of the symbiote planet, Klyntar. As the Guardians made their approach, their ship was disabled by a mysterious force, leaving Star-Lord and his crew stranded on a hostile world nearing the brink of annihilation.”
Storm
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 3/5
Abilities and gameplay
Despite being a three-difficulty character, Storm is actually one of the easiest-to-learn characters in the game. However, her kit has some complexity to it. She is a Duelist, so will be at the front of a fight, dealing the most damage. She can also hover in the air and move horizontally and vertically upwards, downwards, and sideways, giving her great mobility.
Her main attack is Wind Blade, a standard, semi-automatic projectile that does moderate damage. However, her damage and her team’s damage can be buffed by using her Weather Control ability. When activated on the Thunder option, Storm will get a damage boost alongside her team in her vacinity. You can also switch it to the Tornado option, granting you and your team a movement boost instead. These can be switched on the fly.
Storm’s Goddess Boost ability enhances this blended damage and support role further. Offering the same Thunder and Tornado options, Storm can imbue herself with even more power, channelling it for a momentary boost to either movement speed or damage. The Thunder option will also damage enemies in the area around her when it is used.
Storm’s other ranged option is the Bolt Rush, a sniper-like shot that can target enemies from afar to deal more precise, stronger damage. Storm also has her Omega Hurricane ultimate – an area-of-effect tornado that can be summoned to draw in enemies towards her and damage them greatly.
Lore
“Born a Mutant and worshipped as a Goddess due to her ability to manipulate the weather, Ororo Munroe became the X-Man known as Storm. As the regent of Sol and the protector of Arakko, she now serves as a protector for Mutants on Earth and beyond.
The energy generated by the Timestream Entanglement has resulted in violent temporal tempests on the sentient island Krakoa, the nation that the X-Men call home. Although her powers are capable of stabilizing the island’s climate, Storm seeks a more permanent solution alongside her fellow heroes.”
The Punisher
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 1/5
Abilities and gameplay
Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, is your typical run-and-gun hero. As a duelist, he is responsible for dealing huge chunks of damage while getting support from his other team members. His abilities play into that role, allowing him to do incredible damage with the right timing and team-ups.
To kick things off, The Punisher can use both an assault rifle and shotgun, switching freely between them to attack players up close and from range. Both are highly accurate and incredibly strong at their effective ranges.
Frank’s movement is restricted, but he can move up and down stories on a map thanks to his Vantage Connection ability, which spawns a zipline between two points. Elsewhere, he has a Scourge Grenade, which acts as a smoke grenade, blinding enemies hit by it for a brief second. It also launches Frank backwards to avoid danger.
To boost his damage even further, Frank can call in a Culling Turret, which is a mounted machine gun that deals strong, persistant damage from a fixed point. It can act as both a way to quickly wipe out an entire team and as a distraction so your allies can flank around them.
Frank also has a nice passive bonus in the form of Warrior’s Gaze. This ability will cause enemies that disappear from your line of sight to appear through walls for a few seconds after they dart behind cover, making him great to have on your team purely for the location callouts.
Finally, Frank also has his ultimate: Final Judgement. This spawns in a mech suit with two gatling guns and missiles capable of dealing heaps of damage for a short period of time and destroying your opponent’s health and armour.
Lore
“Caught in the crossfire of a mob hit that killed his family, Frank Castle clung to life through sheer force of will and his unquenchable thirst for vengeance. Unwilling to let more innocents suffer at the hands of criminals, Castle took the law into his own hands as the Punisher.
Thanks to an experimental serum that vastly extended his lifespan, the Punisher’s war has continued into the far-flung future. As a member of the New Marvel Knights, his impressive arsenal has become a vital part of Black Widow’s crusade against Doom 2099.”
Thor
- Role: Vanguard
- Difficulty: 2/5
Abilities and gameplay
Thor is a unique type of Vanguard, focused less on protecting the team and instead trying to push an enemy team backwards by dealing consistent damage and remaining alive and tanky. This is all thanks to his Thorforce passive ability. This is a bonus, damage-dealing buff which can stack up to three times unlocking new abilities and powering up his abilities.
Thorforce builds up over time, and you can manually up your stacks with the Lightning Realm ability, casting a bolt of lightning and upping your Thorforce stack amount based on the number of enemies Thor has hit.
With three Thorforce stacks, Thor can then fire Awakening Rune. This is a powered-up state that gives Thor bonus health and enhances Mjolnir Bash, Thor’s main melee attack. Mjolnir Bash fires out beams of electricity, which can hit enemies from afar.
Thor’s other main attack is Hammer Throw, a ranged throw of Mjolnir that can hit enemies from a moderate distance. Thor can also use Storm Surge, a ranged dash forward that carries Thor a great distance and knocks any enemies back. Each use of Hammer Throw and Storm Surge will consume one Thorforce stack.
Finally, Thor’s ultimate ability is God of Thunder. During it, Thor briefly teleports into the air, and smites the ground with strong, charged electricity. After a brief charge, he can then inflict extra damage on enemies in range at the end of the charge by releasing the built-up electricity.
Lore
“Prince of Asgard and God of Thunder, Thor Odinson is one of the bravest warriors the cosmos has ever known. With his enchanted hammer in hand, Thor summons the full fury of the storm to smite his foes… but only if he proves himself worthy of Mjolnir’s might.
Alas, Thor has suffered greatly since the Timestream Entanglement. When the All-Father was forced to enter his regenerative Odinsleep, Thor and his brother Loki battled for the throne. Through deceit and trickery, Loki bested his brother, exiling Thor to a distant and dangerous timeline.”
Venom
- Role: Vanguard
- Difficulty: 3/5
Abilities and gameplay
Venom is one of the tankier Vanguards in the game and is able to take a lot of damage, soaking it up as extra armour while your team picks opponents off. This comes from his Symbiotic Resilience ability. Activating it will generate bonus health against your damage. The lower Venom’s health, the greater the bonus health generated, allowing you to have upwards of 1,000 health at points.
While at the front of the pack with that much health, he can use his Dark Predation tenticle attacks to attack enemies in front of him. He can also jump in the air and swing, crashing down to the ground with a slam. Additional movement options include the ability to climb and run along walls and ceilings, giving him strong mobility and flexibility despite being a tanky character.
Venom’s Cellular Corrosion ability allows you to slow enemies close to you, and if they fail to break free from your tentacles, they will take damage.
Finally, Venom’s ultimate is Feast of the Abyss. This allows him to duck underground and pop back up to devour enemies and generate additional bonus health. This allows him to play as a disruptor, constantly absorbing the attention of his opponents, while your team works on healing or dealing damage in combination with your attacks.
Lore
“When Spider-Man rejected a symbiotic alien that he had once believed to be a mere costume, the creature formed a new bond with a man who shared its disdain for Peter Parker. Together, the symbiote and Eddie Brock became the lethal protector known as Venom.
While displaced in time and fighting in the occult wars, Venom glimpsed the horrific future awaiting this timeline. To prevent that future from happening, Venom knows he has only two options – kill the dark god Knull or imprison him on Klyntar and take his throne.”
Winter Soldier
- Role: Duelist
- Difficulty: 2/5
Abilities and gameplay
Winter Soldier acts as a lurker, able to pick people off and also catch them off guard with his abilities. His regular attack is the Roterstern. This is a blaster that fires explosive rounds consistently, and has a little bit of splash damage on top of its regular fire.
Winter Soldier also has access to the Trooper’s Fist movement ability. This is a short dash forward, followed by an uppercut knocking enemies airborne. Winter Soldier also has access to Tainted Voltage. This is a charged electrical punch using his bionic arm that deals damage to enemies and slows them down.
Bionic Hook follows on from this ability with the same animation but instead pulls enemies in towards the Winter Soldier. Additionally, Infinite Grit is a passive ability that automatically reloads Winter Soldier’s blaster while he is using his bionic arm.
Winter Soldier’s final ability is Kraken Impact. This is a series of several slams from above using his bionic arm. Hitting enemies will also mark them, and when their health falls below a certain threshold, they will die.
Lore
“Captain America’s sidekick during World War II, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes was thought to have been killed in action. In truth, he had been recovered by enemy forces and rebuilt into their ultimate assassin. But the Winter Soldier eventually broke his conditioning to become a hero once more.
Captured during an operation to sabotage Charteris Base, the Winter Soldier was subjected to horrific experiments at the hands of Hydra scientists. He was rescued by Hawkeye and a version of Captain America from the year 2099, who gifted an upgraded arm to his former partner.”
For even more on the game, check out a breakdown of the announcements from the original reveal back in March.
The post All ‘Marvel Rivals’ characters so far – full roster abilities and lore breakdown appeared first on NME.
