Should Marvel Rivals esports be for everyone?

The Marvel Rivals esports scene has grown exponentially since the game first launched, with various tournaments under its belt, including the Invitationals and the upcoming Marvel Rivals Ignite. 

However, NetEase also provides a seasonal in-game tournament for teams that may not be as established in the scene, called Marvel Rivals Championships (MRC). This tournament offers a chance to anyone who can assemble a team to achieve glory. 

But is this the right direction for the game, or could the scene benefit from being less of a playground and more of a prestigious club for the most elite teams? Marvel Rivals esports is still quite new, with NetEase trying to figure out which structure will build a long-lasting scene.

Marvel Rivals Championship is a seasonal in-game event where players can assemble a squad and compete for the lion’s share of a $14,500 prize pool and digital rewards. The tournament is one of the few scenes featuring both casual teams and those sponsored by esports organisations competing together. 

In some ways, this is a positive as it gets the playerbase involved beyond being spectators while fostering an ‘anyone can win’ mentality. The option to participate makes esports more engaging beyond just watching the most decorated teams, further growing the community.

However, its shortcomings can be seen as a medium for entertainment. It’s much easier to follow and support an established team than a random group of players who may never appear again. It’s less complicated to find the socials and posts of a single organisation than individual players who potentially lack a history of competing. 

For example, fans tuning into the League of Legends esports scene are invested in the rivalry between Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok and Kang ‘Ambition’ Chan-yong. Faker has been competing for years, establishing a fanbase due to his accomplishments, struggles, records and rivalries. Narratives such as these help keep fans engaged as tensions build up in-game. It can be argued that storylines such as these don’t exist in open brackets.

Rivals Fight Night has become a staple in the Marvel Rivals esports scene. Some view it as a friendly spar between teams, while others see it as an indicator of the esports hierarchy in terms of strength and performance. 

However, the North American and European brackets vastly differ. In Europe, the general consensus is that Virtus.pro is one of, if not the best, team in the region. It has an impressive history in the newly minted Marvel Rivals esports scene, winning the Invitationals, MRC and the most Fight Nights by far. 

In EU, aside from organisations such as Luminosity, there aren’t many other established teams. Invited teams such as Brr Brr Patapim, Supremacy and All Business don’t have organisations backing them. They don’t have the benefits that come with it, such as being paid to practice or a built-in fanbase. 

Chris ‘Puckett’ Puckett, esports broadcaster, commented during one of the more recent Fight Nights that Virtus.pro winning Europe ‘felt like the same story being printed nine times.’ Whilst fans love a champion, having the same results time and again can often lead to a scene being boring to watch. 

In North America, competition is a lot fiercer. The title ‘best team’ in that region has regularly moved around, from 100 Thieves in the Invitational to Sentinels in MRC Season 1. There are many notable established teams in that region, such as FlyQuest, Shikigami and Shroud-X.

With so many players on the field, it can lead to matches being more unpredictable, and thus more exciting to watch. Teams like FlyQuest can sell an underdog story that leaves a larger impression on fans. 

During Fight Night #9, Andrew ‘ZP’ Rush, Commentator for Rivals Fight Night EU, said: “You can make a case with some of the NA teams, but the reality is that VP has been consistent and untouched, whereas NA has had roster mania.

“NA has had a lot of shifts, twists and turns. Who’s at the top? Right now it’s Sentinels, but maybe it’s someone else in a few weeks. NA has not had the consistency that EU has had on the very top.”

If the Marvel Rivals YouTube channel is anything to go by, there’s clearly a demand for a mix of both. MRC Season 1, which lets anyone compete, accumulated 214,000 views on its NA Grand Finals, while the NA Invitational finals had 117,000 views, which only saw invited teams compete. 

There could be many reasons for the disparity, but factors could include the invitational attracting traditional esport fans, while the championships brought in more of the general playerbase. The comment section itself indicates this, as the Invitational is filled with comments from players watching to improve their gameplay by watching the pros. 

Marvel Rivals Ignite will shape the future of the games’ esports scene, depending on how well it is received by players. If it proves popular enough, it may be the sign that other esports organisations need to throw their hats into the ring, resulting in a far more intense scene. 

MRC proves you can have an interesting esports scene by mixing professional teams and regular players and still attract an audience. However, tournaments such as Invitational and Ignite highlight the best-of-the-best on a larger stage and with more prize money at play. 

For Marvel Rivals, making these tournaments as large as other competitors in the FPS esports space requires more organisations in the scene. Teams can only be at their best when afforded the tools and opportunities to do so and fans will only feel invested if there are established storylines, top players, rivalries and exciting matches to look forward to.

It’s hard to gauge which direction NetEase will take Marvel Rivals, simply because the game still has a relatively young esports scene. As it currently stands, keeping things open will be better in terms of viewership and keeping the scene afloat.

However, if the scene grows to a more popular level, creating an exclusive space for professional teams could be more beneficial in the long run.