Summary
Marvel Rivalsis shaping up to be a strong competitor to Blizzard’s hero-shooterOverwatch 2, taking iconic characters from Marvel’s vast roster and putting them in team-based PvP combat. While it’s clearMarvel Rivalsdraws a lot of inspiration fromOverwatch 2, there are some key differences that should help the game feel unique, such as destructible environments and a third-person perspective. However, out of all the characters onMarvel Rivals' roster, Magik is likely to be one of the most derivative of oneOverwatch 2character based on her signature portal-conjuring abilities.
Although there are still a lot of details yet to be revealed about the gameplay ofMarvel Rivals, the roster of characters confirmed to be in the game at launch paints a solid picture of how matches might play out. There is a good mix of unique characters, likeHulk, Iron Man, Storm, and Magnetothat could all play very differently from one another and other characters in similar games likeOverwatch 2. While a character like Magik has the potential to be wholly unique, she will likely share a similar design element withOverwatch 2’s Symmetra, given her ability to teleport using portals.
Marvel Rivals’ Magik Could Play Similarly to Overwatch 2’s Symmetra
A core part of Magik’s identity as a hero and member of theX-Menis her ability to conjure portals to Limbo using her Soulsword. This power allows Magik to teleport by creating a portal, or Stepping Disc, to Limbo at one location as an entrance and then creating a second one elsewhere as an exit. This teleportation ability is so great that it has helped Magik transport herself and others across incredible distances, from continental divides to intergalactic gaps, meaning it’s likely to be a key part of her moveset inMarvel Rivals.
Magik has also been known to travel through time using her Stepping Discs, which could also be translated toMarvel Rivalsand allow her to use an ability similar to Tracer’s Recall inOverwatch 2.
Teleportation mechanics are a staple for team-based hero-shooters, with titles likeTeam Fortress 2allowing the Engineer to build teleporters for players to use, andOverwatch 2’s Symmetrahaving the ability to create similar teleporters to transport players across short distances instantaneously. With this mechanic common to the genre, it seems likely that Magik will fulfill a similar archetype, potentially making her the Symmetra ofMarvel Rivals. However,Marvel Rivalswill need to make Magik feel unique from other instances of this archetype in order for her to stand out, and there are a few ways the game could accomplish this task.
How Marvel Rivals Can Differentiate Magik from Symmetra
Aside from the ability to create Stepping Disc portals, Magik has a variety of other powers that could help her stand out from Symmertra inMarvel Rivals. Magik can manipulate psionic energy in a variety of ways, including creating psionic shields and armor, as well as weaponizing psionic energy as an offensive energy blast. The use of these abilities would also make for logical additions to Magik’s moveset inMarvel Rivals, potentially given her support capabilities similar toSymmetra’s at the launch ofOverwatch 1.
The main wayMarvel Rivalscan differentiate Magik from Symmetrais through the use of her Soulsword, potentially giving her an emphasis on close-range melee combat. In contrast, Symmetra’s primary attack comes from her Photon Projector, a short-range beam that can also fire long-range projectiles and works in tandem with Symmetra’s Sentry Turrets, which also fire short-range beams at enemies within range. Having Magik be a melee character with support capabilities through the use of her Stepping Discs and psionic manipulation would be a good middle ground between a Symmetra-inspired design and a uniqueMarvel Rivalscharacter.
