Marvel Rivals Season 5 Brings Gambit, But His Kit Feels Too Familiar
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Marvel Rivals welcomes Gambit in Season 5, but his kit draws heavy criticism for mirroring Overwatch 2 heroes like Wuyang and Ana, raising questions about NetEase's design direction.
Nearly a year after its launch, NetEase has expanded the Marvel Rivals roster with the arrival of Gambit as a new Strategist. While the hero shooter has spent the past five seasons steadily stepping out of the shadow of Blizzard's hero shooter, Gambit's arrival feels like a step backward. Reporting from Polygon, critics point out that the mutant's kit heavily mirrors recent support designs from Overwatch 2, particularly Wuyang and Ana. From staff knockbacks to healing amplification and explosive ultimates that grant mobility buffs, the overlaps are hard to ignore.
The frustration runs deeper than surface-level comparisons, as these mechanics simply clash with the fast-paced flow of Marvel Rivals. Features like enhanced jump abilities and environmental knockbacks hold limited utility on maps where verticality works differently and where chaotic team fights rarely reward slow positioning. Even tools like healing reduction grenades feel out of sync with a game defined by explosive damage numbers, where taking your eyes off a teammate for a split second usually results in a quick elimination.
Despite the recycled design choices, Gambit still manages to address some fundamental healing issues in the game, particularly through multi-target support skills that help keep high-damage team compositions alive. As live-service games continue to iterate on their metas and battle pass ecosystems, players expect distinct identities rather than familiar tropes. NetEase proved it could innovate with breakout characters like Emma Frost and Phoenix, so slipping back into direct homage with Gambit is a missed opportunity for a roster that was finally finding its unique voice.
Tags: Marvel Rivals, NetEase, Overwatch 2, Hero Shooter, Gaming News
Original article: Polygon