NetEase might have tweaked the art-styles of the heroes in Marvel Rivals to make it unique, but is it ethically correct?

Marvel Rivals

With a stacked roster of superheroes, Marvel Rivals is prepared to take a shot at the increasingly competitive multiplayer shooter market. Players take on one of 33 (at launch) Marvel heroes and villains in six-versus-six online battles in this superpowered free-to-play shooter from NetEase Games and Marvel Comics, which puts the “hero” in hero shooter and competes with games like Overwatch and Valorant.

Cover image of Marvel Rivals.Marvel Rivals is going to be released on December 6, 2024. | Credit: NetEase Games.

To stand out from the overwhelming traffic, this game had to be unique and it is unique for sure. With unlikely aesthetics and art style as compared to the original Marvel Comics, the game has become more immersive. The hero designs may be legally right, but they never do justice to the actual franchise.

The Hero Designs of Marvel Rivals Might Be Aesthetically Pleasing But Don’t Look Like a Marvel Game

marvel rivals 3

⛶

Marvel Rivals speedster NetEase Games 3

⛶

Marvel Rivals speedster NetEase Games 1

⛶

marvel rivals gameplay 1920x1080 a6062b61e4b5

⛶

marvel rivals iron man

⛶

marvel rivals 3
Marvel Rivals speedster NetEase Games 3
Marvel Rivals speedster NetEase Games 1
marvel rivals gameplay 1920x1080 a6062b61e4b5
marvel rivals iron man

If you look at a character from the Marvel Comics, it won’t take a second for you to recognize it. But if you see a character from the game, you will eventually realize that it is from Marvel Rivals. Exactly, there’s a substantial difference between the two.

NetEase would have easily crafted a game with stunning graphics, sharp edges, high fidelity, and 4K resolution, like the original Marvel projects or the previous Marvel games. But they didn’t. Yes, there’s no problem in doing so legally, but it’s ethically wrong. When you jump into the game, it looks like you are in a completely different setting, not your familiar universe.

The visuals give the impression that this is a completely new game with a completely different universe and style of artwork. It is intended to create a sense of identity that will motivate players to devote more time to learning it and, eventually, to sticking with it even more. This is actual subliminal messaging in action.

There are surely some fans who raised eyebrows when they saw the characters in the game for the first time, and the first query that arose in their minds was, “Hey, it’s not my friendly neighborhood Spider-Man; this web-slinger has freaking armors around him.” There shouldn’t be any problem from anyone about NetEase changing the familiar art style of Marvel, but hey, after all, it’s a Marvel game. And it seems, the tweaks were made not only on the character abilities but the game’s visuals as well.

Mr. Fantastic Might Be Joining the Marvel Rivals Roster

A screenshot from Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness.The “smartest man alive” might cut into Marvel Rivals. | Credit: Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Mr. Fantastic may arrive sooner rather than later, as a Marvel Rivals leaker claims to have located him in the game’s files. NetEase Games is getting ready to release its most recent game on Friday, December 6. In an effort to interact with the community, Marvel Rivals has been releasing a number of partnerships and collaborations since going gold.

A leaker of Marvel Rivals, RivalsLeaks shared a preview of Mr. Fantastic. Additionally, RivalsLeaks asserts that it is aware that the character is a duelist, one of the main game archetypes. In keeping with the overall visual aesthetic of Marvel’s most recent game, Mr. Fantastic appears to be fairly toned in the shared image. However, the game needed the Mad Titan to give a tough time to all of these super heroes.

Recently, the hero shooter was made available for pre-loading on both the official website and Steam. Dataminers and leakers have been working hard since PC gamers were able to download the game. It is impossible to confirm any of these claims because they are leaks rather than official announcements.

Fans seem to have a lot to look forward to because there have been so many announcements, updates, and leaks about the upcoming game. An original art style of the game would have been the cherry on the top.