Summary
After a long wait,Marvel Rivalsis set to officially release on May 12, 2025, for free on PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5. A hero shooter in the same vein asOverwatchorRogue Companyand, like those games,Marvel Rivalswill feature a wide variety of characters on the roster.
However, NetEase Games has revealed thatMarvel Rivalswill launch with every character on the roster as soon as they are available. No microtransactions or unlocking characters are necessary, with 33 characters ready to be played in multiplayer matches with friends and strangers alike.
Updated on July 31, 2025, by Melody MacReady:Fans of hero shooters are still excited to finally play Marvel Rivals as it launches on July 08, 2025, not only because of the visually unique art style and multiplayer carnage that will be available but also because of the massive roster of Marvel characters, ranging from famous poster children of the franchise to deep cuts that few were expecting. This includes many of the new characters that have been revealed by NetEase Games, all of whom will also be immediately available to all players at launch. There are three classes of character for different playstyles: Duelist, Vanguard, and Strategist, making it more than just running and shooting opponents.
1Adam Warlock
Reborn From Light
Despite having godlike power as one of themost powerful Guardians Of The Galaxy,Adam Warlockis not the damage dealer that one might expect. Instead, he focuses on healing teammates with a simple snap of his fingers that can even heal tanks at incredible rates.
Adam Warlock can also bond with his teammates, allowing him to heal with them gradually while allowing everyone to share their health. This allows Vanguard classes to protect their teammates even more by sharing their already large amount of health.
2Black Panther
The King Of Wakanda
The King of Wakanda features many attacks and abilities one might expect from the character, from using vibranium claws to throwing a spear to unleashing the spirit of Bast at his enemies. On the surface,Black Pantherseems to be the most straightforward melee-based character, but that is not the case.
The lunging and claw attacks of Black Panther force him to charge in and out of battle since several long-range characters can gun him down in seconds. However, his speed and agility can make him difficult to hit, providing a challenge for both himself and his opponents.
3Black Widow
Super-Spy Sniper
Armed with a sniper and Escrima sticks,Black Widowis a Duelist character that is likely to make certain players angry. She can wipe out characters with one or two hits of her sniper from seemingly any distance, which combined with her wrist-bound grapple hook makes her a challenge for any opponent.
Black Widow can effectively take out crowds too, using a plasma burst to hit multiple foes at once for damage, which opens them up for follow-up sniper attacks. For close range, Black Widow possesses a kick ability that can be followed up with another action, making her just as deadly up close.
4Bruce Banner / Hulk
The Strongest One There Is
The best way to describeHulkinMarvel Rivalsis that he is essentially a reverse version of D. Va fromOverwatch. Instead of a big character who turns into a smaller character for a last-minute escape, the player starts as Bruce Banner with his gamma pistol and must choose the right time to transform into his alter ego.
As Hulk, he has the standard affair of abilities: thunderclap, long jumping, rage, and more. All of this is very muchclassic and powerful Hulk, but he is very slow with little to no range, which forces him to rely on at least one other teammate to back him up when pushing objectives.
5Captain America
Sentinel Of Justice And Liberty
With his signature shield, Steve Rogers, AKACaptain America, is a powerful Vanguard character inMarvel Rivals. Not only can he throw his shield to ricochet and deal heavy damage, but when he uses it as a shield, it is deadly and protective at the same time, since it can rebound attacks such as Iron Man’s ultimate ability right back.
Steve Rogers can also use his ability to rally his teammates, thus granting them buffs. However, the biggest downside about Captain America is that he will be mainly for melee attacks, so ranged teammates will need to assist him.
6Cloak & Dagger
An Inseparable Bond
Two characters in one makeCloak & Daggerinstantly unique, with the ability to swap between the characters thanks to their inseparable bond. They are the newest in the Strategist class, with a focus on healing and defense when playing as Dagger, and when swapped to Cloak, the emphasis is on disruption and dealing with damage, forcing the player to think ahead.
This is an example ofMarvel Rivalsbranching out to add atypical characters, as Cloak & Dagger are nowhere near the levels of, say, Iron Man or Black Panther. However, they prove that iconicism is not always important as they still look like they will be effective characters.
7Doctor Strange
Master Of The Mystic Arts
Much like in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,Doctor Strangeis all about his sparkling portals, and they make him into a crafty Vanguard in the right player’s hands. Not only can Doctor Strange create a portal to transport teammates across the map, but teammates can use the portals like open windows to shoot out at enemies.
Then there are other Doctor Strange abilities, such as creating barriers that can take a large amount of damage before breaking or using his Cloak of Levitation to fly.The middle-aged Marvel heroalso has access to the Eye Of Agamotto, which figuratively and literally knocks the souls out of enemies for brief periods for teammates to do damage.
8Groot
Prince Of The Floral Colossi
Akin to Mei fromOverwatch,Grootcan use his Floral Colossal biology to create massive walls of powerful vines for blocking the paths of enemies or shielding teammates who are near death. As a bonus, the wall can heal nearby teammates via damage dealt by Groot.
Groot can bind enemies in place via his vines and being a Floral Colossus grants him a large amount of health. Groot is arguably the closest to a fusion between a tank and a supporting character, which is usually the case in other Marvelgames featuring the Guardians of the Galaxywith Groot.
9Hawkeye
The Unmatched Sharpshooter
A Duelist class hero who isone of the most famous Avengers, going under the names ofHawkeyeand Ronin. In Marvel Rivals, Clint Barton utilizes skills from both monikers, with most of his combat being centered around his mastery of archery, utilizing lethal arrows to wipe out enemies up close and far away.
On top of the bow, Hawkeye can protect himself from enemy projectiles by using his Japanese blade to slash them out of the air. It makes him the ideal character to flank the battlefield or protect others, depending on the player’s preferences.
10Hela
The Goddess Of Death
Since she is the Goddess Of Death,Helais meant to charge forward and unleash as much damage to her opponents as possible. At the same time, though, Hela is effective from long range, able to snipe her opponents with her basic attacks using the Nightsword and her abilities.
Flanking the enemy team as Hela is also vital to her gameplay thanks to her Astral Flock ability that allows her to transform into a flock of ravens and quickly soar a distance before changing back. As a result, Hela has something for everybody.
