Marvel Rivals Subverts Expectations With Its Roles, But It Could Be Doing More
When assigning roles to its roster of heroes, makes some unexpectedly clever choices, but there's still room for improvement. Each playable hero in is assigned to one of three classes: Duelist, for characters whose focus is on dishing out as much damage as possible; Vanguard, for tanks designed to soak up damage and protect their teammates; and Strategist, for healers who keep the rest of their team alive as long as possible.
A hero's role and their unique kit of abilities is designed to reflect their personality and the powers they have in the original source material of Marvel comics. While it seems like most characters would be easily sorted into one of three roles, some heroes end up with a role that seems contrary to what would be the most obvious. This aspect of the roster is one of 's best features, and yet they could be going even further with it.
With only three roles available, assigning most characters in the Marvel library to a role in should be straightforward. The Punisher, for example, is all about guns and violence, so it doesn't make much sense for him to be anything other than a damage-dealing Duelist. Captain America always leads the charge into battle and wields a shield as his primary weapon, so Vanguard is a natural fit for him. For the most part, the roster aligns with this pattern.
Vanguards are a class of characters in Marvel Rivals whose high health and survivability help teams, but some in this role are stronger than others.
More exciting are the heroes who seem to be in a role that's at odds with how most fans would perceive them based on their depiction in the comics or MCU movies, like Rocket Raccoon. Traditionally portrayed as a gun-toting mercenary, it would have been easy to make him a Duelist equipped with a full arsenal of firearms and explosive devices. Instead, he's a Strategist with a kit focused primarily on healing and limited offensive options.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Doctor Strange seems like a natural fit for a
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