In recent months, the hero shooter genre has been making waves, and not all for the right reasons. Sony’s Concord face-planted spectacularly, Valve flexed with Deadlock, and now Marvel Rivals from NetEase has rolled in to mop up the mess and become the genre’s new darling.
While some disgruntled activist game journalists tried to pin the implosion of Concord on an “oversaturation” of the genre or its absurd $40 price tag, Concord bombed because of its terrible design choices. Sony tried to shove “inclusive” characters down everyone’s throat, and players found them utterly unappealing, both aesthetically and conceptually.
Sony hyped Concord as the next big thing, a supposed flagship title to bolster their crumbling game portfolio. But just two weeks post-launch, the game was yanked offline after a reception so bad it forced refunds. Sony ate a loss of somewhere between $200 to $400 million.
Of course, gaming journalists quickly jumped in with excuses, blaming the hero shooter market’s so-called oversaturation. Yeah, because the genre is the problem, not the clownish decisions that went into making Concord.
Gaming journalists conveniently overlooked Concord’s most glaring issue: its characters. The game embraced DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) design philosophies to such an extreme that it alienated potential customers. Rather than delivering iconic, engaging characters, the roster came off as uninspired, overtly pandering, and visually repulsive.
This isn’t just about aesthetics or adhering to “sex sells.” It’s about creating visually compelling designs that connect with audiences. While attractive characters aren’t a requirement for success, they undeniably enhance a game’s marketability. A roster full of bland, pandering DEI abominations has the opposite effect, making players run for the hills instead of drawing them in.
Character design matters because it directly affects the game’s approachability and appeal, something Concord seemingly ignored.
In stark contrast, Marvel Rivals, developed by Chinese conglomerate NetEase, demonstrates how a modern hero shooter can still dominate the genre without succumbing to visual mediocrity. Launching as a free-to-play title, Marvel Rivals achieved remarkable success, amassing 10 million players within the first 72 hours of release.
The game didn’t merely rely on its superhero branding to succeed; it delivered what fans of the Marvel universe craved. Its roster featured compelling, visually striking characters with unique, engaging abilities that sparked excitement rather than apathy. Marvel Rivals proved that strong character design and gameplay innovation are the true keys to success in a competitive market.
The success of Marvel Rivals isn’t solely due to its free-to-play model or its connection to the Marvel franchise. The game shines because of its vibrant and appealing cast of characters, crafted to resonate with both new and veteran Marvel fans. Each superhero avatar, male and female is not only iconic within their respective universes but also boasts bold, visually engaging designs that captivate players.
The meticulous attention to detail in these designs ensures the characters feel heroic and dynamic, pulling players into the game with ease.
Consider the character Magik as an example. A comparison between her portrayal in the Chinese-developed Marvel Rivals and the tactical RPG Marvel’s Midnight Suns created by the American studio Firaxis Games highlights the difference. The Rivals version on the left exemplifies a fresh, bold aesthetic, while Midnight Suns on the right opts for a more subdued and less striking approach.
On the left, Magik is portrayed with a traditionally attractive, stylized appearance, exuding confidence and heroism. Her design emphasizes distinctly feminine traits such as a well-defined jawline, fuller lips, and a conventionally appealing aesthetic that balances beauty and power. This version embraces a hyper-feminine, hero-centric look that aligns with the aspirational qualities many players associate with superheroes.
In contrast, the American-developed depiction on the right opts for a more subdued and androgynous design. The character features softer, less defined facial features that blur traditional gender distinctions, prioritizing inclusivity over conventional aesthetics. This approach risks alienating those who prefer aspirational or glamorous designs, as the character’s appeal feels diminished in an effort to cater to a broader, more inclusive vision that consumers proactively despise.
Overwatch, once the unrivaled king of hero shooters, has seen its dominance wane in recent years. Overwatch 2, Blizzard’s follow-up to the original, has been marred by controversial design decisions that alienated a significant portion of its player base over the years.
The game’s focus on heavy censorship, removing victory poses labeled as “sexualizing” and redesigning female characters to be less revealing has fueled ongoing backlash from players. Blizzard’s persistent push for inclusive character designs has often been criticized for disregarding traditional portrayals of femininity.
Instead, the game leans toward presenting more brute, masculine, and butch female characters, alongside overweight, less conventionally appealing male counterparts. This trend culminated in the introduction of Venture, the game’s first non-binary character, which has sparked further debate about the company’s creative direction.
On Steam, Overwatch 2’s player count, which previously peaked at over 45,000 concurrent players, has steadily declined to around 36,000 as of December 6. While several factors contribute to this drop, the release of Marvel Rivals featuring a more visually appealing and diverse cast of characters has undoubtedly played a role in drawing players away from Overwatch 2.
When Marvel Rivals delivers captivating character designs and an engaging Marvel universe that fans love, it’s no wonder players are flocking to it. With a peak player count of 480,990 on PC and a sustained daily player base in the hundreds of thousands, it’s a shining example of what the hero shooter genre can achieve.
The game’s success lies in a simple truth: players gravitate toward engaging, well-designed characters. Titles like Concord and Overwatch 2 missed this mark by focusing too heavily on generalized inclusivity at the expense of character depth and aesthetic appeal. In contrast, Marvel Rivals stayed true to the timeless allure of strong, attractive, and iconic superheroes, steering clear of the diluted, androgynous designs often associated with “inclusive” approaches.
Concord serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the risks of prioritizing niche inclusivity over compelling character design. Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals has proven that the hero shooter genre still has immense potential when it aligns its gameplay and aesthetics with players’ expectations. The success of a game isn’t determined by how diverse or “woke” its cast is but by how well its characters resonate with the audience.
Marvel Rivals demonstrates that a hero shooter, when grounded in strong character design and engaging gameplay, can still captivate millions of players. In contrast, titles overly focused on diversity and inclusivity initiatives will struggle, with journalists attempting to shift the narrative to explain their failures. Ultimately, players are drawn to games that are visually appealing, enjoyable to play, and avoid the disjointed, forced inclusivity that detracts from the overall experience.
