Highlights

  • Marvel Rivals, a 6v6 hero-shooter, is causing a stir with its similarities to Overwatch, particularly in terms of its map design and character abilities.
  • The Tokyo 2099 map in particular is coming under fire, as several sections look as if they were ripped right from Hanamura in Overwatch 2, which was a popular 2CP map.
  • Despite these clear similarities, Marvel Rivals has a chance to distinguish itself through third-person gameplay and features like destruction, whichw will hopefully allow it to stand out from its competition.

NetEase Games' Marvel Rivals has drawn attention lately as a fresh take on the third-person shooter genre. Expectations are steadily rising with the Marvel Rivals Alpha test set to debut on May 10. Interestingly, as developers reveal more details, several comparisons between the upcoming game and Overwatch 2 have begun to emerge.

Similarities between Marvel Rivals and Blizzard's hero-shooter, particularly with characters like Peni Parker and D.Va, were already a topic of discussion. However, the latest map reveal from April 29 was what truly garnered the interest of Overwatch 2 players. While Marvel Rivals' newest map, Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya, seamlessly blends traditional Japanese architecture with a futuristic twist, some are calling it a blatant copy of an Assault map from Overwatch prime.

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Marvel Rivals' Latest Map Shares Several Similarities to Overwatch's Hanamura

Marvel Rivals May Have Indirectly Taken Inspiration From Hanamura

Hanamura, a map introduced alongside the original Overwatch in 2016, swiftly attained iconic status within the game. Its popularity stemmed not only from its setting as the ancestral home of the Shimada clan, but also from its role as the featured location in the animated short "Dragons." As such, when Overwatch 2 debuted without the Assault game mode, fans of Hanamura were unsurprisingly disappointed to find that the cherry blossom-themed map was missing.

With Hanamura, and its subsequent Hanaoka rework, still a significant part of Overwatch's identity, fans of Blizzard's shooter are expressing strong concerns that there are too many similarities with Marvel Rivals' map. This sentiment is reflected in a viral tweet by @mizliz_ with the caption "when they ask to borrow your homework and you say 'just don't copy it exact--' but they already hit CTRL + C." in addition to a post by @OW_SVB that has gained over 1.5 million impressions.

Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 Have Innate Differences

Notably, while Tokyo 2099 and Hanamura share a futuristic Japanese setting, their overall themes and gameplay differ significantly. For instance, Tokyo 2099's Neo-Japan is a reference to the Marvel Comics imprint Marvel 2099, a dystopian future where society is ruled by megacorporations. Alternatively, Hanamura features a more traditional Japanese village that once housed an omnic manufacturing facility.

Compared to Hanamura, Tokyo 2099 appears significantly larger and more open based on the teaser. Additionally, the map incorporates destructible environments reminiscent of The Finals, which should create a more dynamic and evolving world. This stands in contrast to Hanamura, a map designed specifically for the 2CP game mode, which features two smaller capture points in a predefined environment.

"Notably, while Tokyo 2099 and Hanamura share a futuristic Japanese setting, their overall themes and gameplay differ significantly."

Gameplay-wise, Marvel Rivals offers a third-person perspective with 6v6 player battles, while Overwatch 2 focuses on a first-person view with 5v5 matches. Due to the big perspective change, some might even theorize that NetEase Game's upcoming game shares more similarities to games like League of Legends or Smite. Fortunately, with the Alpha test beginning in May, fans can expect more details about Marvel Rivals to be unveiled, which should further solidify or dispel these comparisons.