Marvel Rivals Developer Says Designing Melee-Based Heroes Has Been “One of Our Greatest Challenges”

Marvel Rivals has looked like an increasingly promising hero shooter every step of the way, and though a lot of that is obviously down to its own merits as a legitimate contender in the genre, there’s no denying that the strength of tis license has done it massive favours as well- and in more ways than one. Take, for instance, its roster of playable heroes, which features characters with a wide range of moves and abilities. And though that is, of course, an obvious plus for the game, it’s also presented some challenges for Marvel Rivals’ development team at NetEase Games.

Speaking in a recent interview with GamingBolt, when asked about the challenges of ensuring that Marvel Rivals feels like a balanced experience while also ensuring that each character feels mechanically fleshed out, the upcoming shooter’s developers told us that designing melee-focused heroes such as Thor, Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, and the like has been one of the development team’s “greatest challenges”, since not properly executing their particular movesets within a team-based multiplayer experience would have led to the game “becoming chaotic and less enjoyable”.

“One of our greatest challenges has been designing and effectively expressing a diverse set of primarily melee-based Super Heroes, such as the Hulk, Venom, Magik, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Thor, and others,” NetEase Games told GamingBolt. “While each possesses unique abilities, their shared focus on close combat presented a significant design hurdle. As a team-based combat game, mishandling these melee dynamics could lead to battles lacking depth, becoming chaotic and less enjoyable.”

What helped out, according to the developer, was the sheer variety in potential moves and abilities that the Marvel roster allowed NetEase to play around with.

“However, the expansive capabilities of Marvel’s characters provided us with abundant opportunities for exploration and utilization,” the developer said. “For instance, with the Hulk, we’ve designed and replicated his extraordinary leaping ability, enabling him to knock flying opponents out of the sky, making him a nemesis to airborne heroes, and adding a unique dimension to his combat style.

“Venom’s symbiote characteristics have been extended to provide mid-range combat capabilities, complementing his primary melee focus. Likewise, Spider-Man’s agility has been fully utilized, enabling seamless combat across both close and long ranges, empowering players to adapt their combat style based on the demands of battle.

“This approach ensures that each character feels mechanically fleshed out and offers an engaging gameplay experience.”

Marvel Rivals is currently in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. A release date for the title is currently unknown. Stay tuned for our full interview with the development team.