With Marvel’s massive size and influence, it’s little surprise thatMarvel Rivalshas already received its first of many crossover events. Having blown up with nearly half a million players on PC alone,Marvel Rivalshas been a hit with both fans of the franchise and new players looking for a unique hero shooter experience. WhileMarvel Rivalsmore than delivers on the gameplay side of things, its first collaboration missed the mark on capturing the excitement of its new release.
TheMarvel company is no stranger to crossoversand collaborations over the years, with each of their film or video game projects being filled with Easter eggs or nods to other titles. While nods to other IPs are a fun inclusion for fans, they lackthe excitement of the full-blown crossover events that are widely popular in the live service market. WhileMarvel Rivalswill undoubtedly have more collaborations in the future, it’s off to a bit of a weak start with their latest Fortnite crossover event.
The First Collaboration Isn’t Even Available In Marvel Rivals
A Drop In The Bucket For Fortnite’s Collaboration Content
As a part ofMarvel Rivals’promotional content to celebrate and entice players into trying it out at launch, from now until January 6th, as shown by HYPEX onX.Players that complete 10 full matches will be eligible for a free Galacta-themed glider inFortnite. Alongside this free cosmetic, players can purchase a new futuristic Dr. Doom 2099 skin bundle or a Galacta-themed pickaxe. While these are a fun addition for Fortnite fans, they don’t include any actual content inMarvel Rivals, which is a missed opportunity to start new players off with afree in-game cosmeticincentive.
While the Galacta Glider is only one of the many items crossing over from the iconic battle royale and Marvel’s growing roster of heroes, it doesn’t do much to stand out from the pack. The recentAbsolute Doom event inFortnitefeatured a wide array of additions from the franchise with weapons, skins, characters, and more,with all this past content making the Galacta Glider seem like a second-thought addition in comparison.
While the event was likely to incentivize Fortnite players to try outMarvel Rivalsfor themselves to earn the cosmetic, the complete absence of rewards inMarvel Rivalsitself is a major letdown.
How Marvel Rivals Can Make The Next Crossover Even Better
Taking Inspiration From The Competiton While Staying True To Its Identity
Marvel Rivals’future collaborations are more likely to be in-house than anything else, with a vast array of potential skins and character variations from comic book history. While there’s plenty to choose from,it’s hard not to get excited over the concept of iconic Marvel characters like Iron Man and Venom sporting outfits from universes beyond the world ofMarvel Rivals.
Thankfully for fans, it’s unlikely that the creators ofMarvel Rivalwill ignore players' growing demand for this kind of crossover content, best seen in Fortnite’s surging popularity of collaborative characters.
Other Games Should Learn From Marvel Rivals' New Battle Pass
Marvel Rivals is already making waves in the hero shooter scene, with this minor change giving the game a huge advantage over the competition.
Overwatch 2has already seen massive success with its crossover skin lines, like the My Hero Academia crossover selling remarkably well, being a likely candidate to make its way intoMarvel Rivals,given that Marvel has alreadycollaborated withMHAin the past.
The biggest challenge for including crossover content inMarvel Rivalsis ensuring it keeps up with the level of detail and quality the game offers. Compared to competitors like Overwatch,Marvel Rivalshas a much smaller catalog of skins and microtransactions at launch, with each having a much higher level of quality as a result. GivenMarvel Rivals’focus on quality over quantity, any collaboration events will have to work towards fitting the game’s unique art style while staying true to the game’s comic book inspirations.
