In a recent interview with Metro, Guangyun “Guangguang” Chen, the director of Marvel Rivals, shared insights into the game’s strategy for balancing esports and casual play. While the game is committed to developing a competitive side, it does not want to lose sight of the casual gaming experience that appeals to a broad audience.
Esports and Casual Play: A Coexistence
Marvel Rivals intends to create a game where competitive modes and casual play exist side by side. Guangguang emphasized that the team doesn’t want to focus too much on one aspect to the detriment of the other.
He explained, “We really hope that when we do the competitive modes or tournaments, they will co-exist with our quick play. That’s because we’ve been seeing a lot of other successful titles being able to pull off a competitive environment and a quick play environment both healthily at the same time.”
This approach mirrors successful strategies used by other games that have maintained both competitive and casual player bases. By incorporating lessons learned from these games, Marvel Rivals aims to allow both environments to thrive and support a growing community of players.
Marvel Rivals Tournament Mode and Community Feedback
Marvel Rivals already features a tournament mode supporting Marvel Rivals Championship regional events and Factions, but further competitive plans have yet to be fully outlined.
Despite this, the developers have assured that they will prioritize game balance and actively consider community feedback when planning updates to ensure both competitive and casual aspects of the game are healthy.
Guangguang also addressed the ongoing discussion about role lock, a feature that some players have requested. He reiterated that there are no plans to introduce role lock, as the team believes that more player freedom results in a richer gaming experience for everyone.
Instead, Marvel Rivals will focus on offering a broader range of line-up and team composition possibilities through its hero design and team-up mechanics.
Freedom and Strategy: A Marvel-Inspired Approach
Marvel Rivals takes a Marvel-inspired approach to character selection and gameplay, providing players the freedom to experiment with different strategies and team combinations. This philosophy of freedom and experimentation is crucial in creating a dynamic experience where players can explore various playstyles.
Guangguang also mentioned that the development team is carefully analyzing community feedback and game data to inform future patches. The focus will be on overall balance across all heroes and modes, rather than merely focusing on tournament results or quickplay.
This data-driven approach ensures that the game remains balanced and fun for all players, regardless of their chosen mode.
Future Hero Releases and Patch Updates
Balance changes in Marvel Rivals won’t follow a fixed schedule but will instead be made as needed based on ongoing feedback and observations. The developers are committed to ensuring the game’s balance remains healthy for both competitive and casual modes, taking action as necessary to address any issues that arise.
Additionally, Guangguang shared that NetEase Games plans to release new heroes for Marvel Rivals at a regular interval, ensuring players will have fresh content to look forward to as the game evolves.
Marvel Rivals to Penalize Console Players Using Keyboard and Mouse