Marvel Rivals Slams Brakes on Role Queue Development Amid Team Balancing Controversies

The Marvel Rivals Problem: Why Role-Based Queues Won’t Solve It

When you dive into a game of Marvel Rivals, you’re expecting a balanced team makeup. But more often than not, you’re met with a crew of six DPS heroes, leaving you to die a violent death. This issue has led to cries for a role-based queue, where players commit to playing one of three roles – Vanguard, Strategist, or Duelist – before entering a game. In theory, this balances things out, but it’s not a solution Marvel Rivals is considering anytime soon.

No Role Queue in Sight

According to Guangyun Chen, the game’s creative director, the team is focused on offering a wider variety of team compositions through team-up skills and hero designs, rather than limiting players to specific roles. This means you’ll still be able to play your favorite Marvel superheroes, even if it means joining a team of all-DPS heroes.

You Are Traffic

The phrase "You’re not stuck in traffic. You are traffic" comes to mind when thinking about the Marvel Rivals problem. Most people complaining about being in a team of six DPS heroes are, in fact, playing a DPS hero themselves. It’s easy to get frustrated when you’re forced into tanking or supporting roles, but you need to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Chaos and Fun

Marvel Rivals’ absolute chaos is part of its appeal, offering a sense of free-for-all fun that’s lent to its wonky balance and absurd team compositions. I personally don’t want this game to become sweaty, mostly because I’m not confident in my abilities to survive when playing Spider-Man.

Competitive Play

While competitive play is important, having a good understanding of each role is essential for improvement. Chen notes that things have been rational and within expectations in Competitive play, with a variety of compositions emerging from players. The team will continue to monitor these compositions and how they impact the game.

A Lesson from Overwatch

This isn’t the first time a game has resisted the idea of role queues. Back in 2018, Overwatch was similarly against the idea, and look how that turned out. For now, you’ll probably win more games if you pick up a Strategist or two. Or you can just commit to the bit and not get upset if you take a couple of losses.