Marvel Rivals and Overwatch (formerly Overwatch 2) are both free-to-play team-based hero shooters where you pick a specific hero with their own abilities. They differ in some important ways, though: team size, camera perspective, roles, platforms and PC requirements. Here they are side by side, based only on facts from NetEase’s and Blizzard’s official sites and from Steam, with no verdict on which game is better. Valid as of 20 October 2026.
Comparison table
| Item | Marvel Rivals | Overwatch |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | NetEase Games (also publisher) | Blizzard Entertainment |
| Business model | free-to-play | free-to-play |
| Team size | 6v6 | 5v5 |
| Perspective | third person | first person |
| Roles | Vanguard, Duelist, Strategist | Tank, Damage, Support |
| Platforms | PC (Steam, Epic, NetEase launcher), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S | Battle.net, Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch |
| Crossplay | yes, outside competitive | yes, across platforms |
| Progression | cross-progression since Season 5 | cross-progression across platforms |
| PC minimum: CPU | Intel Core i5-6600K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600X | Intel Core i3 / AMD Phenom X3 8650 |
| PC minimum: memory | 16 GB RAM | 6 GB RAM |
| PC minimum: GPU | GTX 1060 | GTX 600 / Radeon HD 7000 |
| DirectX | 12 | 11 |
| Storage | 70 GB | 50 GB |
PC figures come from Steam (Marvel Rivals, Overwatch). The full Marvel Rivals requirements, including the recommended spec, are in our platforms and requirements guide.
Team size and roles
Marvel Rivals is six players against six, Overwatch five against five. Both games split heroes into three roles but name them differently. Marvel Rivals has Vanguard (holds the front line and soaks damage), Duelist (deals damage) and Strategist (heals and buffs), while Overwatch has Tank, Damage and Support. What each Marvel Rivals role does and how to build a team is covered in our heroes and roles guide.
Third person versus first person
Another difference is the camera. Marvel Rivals is played in third person, so you see your hero from behind. Overwatch is played in first person. According to GameSpot, NetEase chose third person early in development: it wanted players to “embody” the superheroes, and the game mixes shooting with melee combat, which suits a third-person view.
What Marvel Rivals offers
- Team-Up abilities – how they work is explained in our heroes and roles guide.
- Destructible environments – parts of the map can be broken during a fight.
- Free heroes – heroes are never sold, and a new one is playable as soon as it launches. What you can spend money on is covered in our Marvel Rivals price guide.
Release pace: until Season 10, Marvel Rivals usually added two new heroes per season, and Season 10 added one, Gorr the God Butcher. Marvel Rivals launched on 5 December 2024.
Overwatch today
Blizzard now runs the game simply as Overwatch, without the 2. On Steam it is listed as “Overwatch®”, and it used to be Overwatch 2. According to the official site it offers more than 30 heroes, and Season 5 “Reign of Talon” added the Support hero Doctrine. Blizzard says Overwatch supports crossplay and progression across platforms.
Which game fits which player, by the facts
No quality judgement, just what each game offers:
- You own a Nintendo Switch or Xbox One – Overwatch is available there, Marvel Rivals is not. A Switch 2 version of Marvel Rivals is in development with no date.
- You have a weaker PC – according to Steam, Overwatch has a lower minimum (6 GB RAM, DirectX 11, 50 GB), while Marvel Rivals asks for 16 GB RAM, DirectX 12 and 70 GB.
- You want to play in first person – Overwatch. In third person – Marvel Rivals.
- You want to play as Marvel characters – Marvel Rivals.
- You want to play ranked with a friend on another platform – Marvel Rivals keeps PC and console apart in competitive, while crossplay works outside it.
Both games are free, so you can try both. Which maps and modes Marvel Rivals offers is covered in our maps and modes guide.
Join our Discord to meet players of both games and ask what they play and why: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Marvel Rivals is 6v6. Overwatch is 5v5.
Third person. Overwatch is played in first person.
No. Blizzard now lists it as Overwatch, including on Steam. Overwatch 2 is the former name.
Yes, Marvel Rivals and Overwatch are both free-to-play. In Marvel Rivals heroes are not sold.
No. Marvel Rivals is on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series X|S, and a Switch 2 version is in development with no date. Overwatch is available on Switch and Xbox One.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are in our Marvel Rivals section.