Add. Role-Lock 1 Tank, 2 Healers, 3 Flex—Learn from Overwatch's Mistakes

[CrAZYVIC.]

Why Marvel Rivals Needs a Role-Lock: Learning from Overwatch’s Mistakes

Hello, everyone. I want to take a moment to talk about an important topic that could shape the future of Marvel Rivals: role-lock. Based on my experience, a well-designed role-lock system could not only extend the game’s lifespan but also create a much more enjoyable and balanced experience for players. Let me explain why.

A Flexible Role-Lock Proposal

Rather than adopting a rigid 2-2-2 structure, which can feel restrictive, Marvel Rivals could take a more flexible and dynamic approach:

1 Tank
2 Healers
3 Flex (with a cap of three heroes per role).

This setup allows for strategic freedom while avoiding the chaos of unbalanced team compositions. Players get to enjoy the game on their terms without feeling locked out of their favorite roles.

The Overwatch Lessons

Let’s be clear: Overwatch made mistakes, and one of the biggest was waiting three and a half years to introduce a role-lock system. By the time it was implemented, Overwatch had already lost over 90% of its player base, and even the Overwatch League was struggling to stay relevant. It was a classic case of “too little, too late.”

Marvel Rivals doesn’t have to repeat this. The game has the opportunity to act quickly and decisively to avoid similar pitfalls. Let’s talk about what happens without a role-lock system.

What Happens Without Role-Lock

Frustrating Team Compositions: Players frequently get stuck playing heroes they don’t enjoy—often tanks or support—while rarely getting the chance to play DPS. This can turn every match into a frustrating experience.

The Stun Problem: Overwatch struggled for years with excessive crowd-control abilities. Too many stuns break the flow of combat and create frustrating gameplay loops. Marvel Rivals is heading down the same path if this isn’t addressed. Venom has only a 0.81% pick rate in the Top 500, making him nearly unplayable due to the excessive number of stuns—just to give you an example

Mobility Creep Chaos: Unchecked mobility abilities created balance nightmares in Overwatch. Certain heroes became almost impossible to counter, leading to frustration and a lack of strategic variety. Marvel Rivals must address this before it becomes a long-term issue.

A Warning and a Prediction

If these core issues aren’t tackled soon, Marvel Rivals risks losing up to 90% of its player base within 8 to 12 weeks. This isn’t speculation—it’s what happens when the initial hype fades, and players encounter persistent frustrations.

The Time to Act is Now

A well-implemented role-lock system combined with adjustments to crowd control and mobility could elevate Marvel Rivals into a truly great game. The lessons are there for us to learn, and there’s no better time to act than right now.

[Kitt 🌟 Stargazer]

I just play with friends if I want very specific set ups.

You're just going to drive people away implementing these features though. No one wants to be told that they can't play the characters they want. DPS aren't going to want to deal with significantly longer wait times either to join matches.

[Jesi]

People hate idea of Role Queue (I would like it but well... its me). IMO they should add a Teamup type of buff to people that play Solo Role. Single DPS would get damage buff, Single Vanguard would get damage reduction buff and Single Strategist would get healing buff.

But maybe we dont even need those... because some new heroes can have this as their own Teamup bonuses. Type of "I work alone". Idea of Juggernaut being more Juggernauty without another Vanguard. Try to make Team Composition... Interesting.

[Long Wang]

It would be pretty flexible to add a "flex" role for the queue because literally everyone would queue flex over tank or healer. It would actually just making the current problem much worst.

Better to stick with 2-2-2 and make it simple. Also matches tend to be more enjoyable without dps spam.

[CrAZYVIC.]

In fact, with a flexible role-lock, I propose:

1 Tank, 2 Healers, and 3 Flex.

I know that, at times, we’d end up with three DPS mains, but I believe this would open up the possibility for one of them to make panic swaps if they notice their gameplay isn’t working.

For example, when the payload reaches 90% of the way, and suddenly you switch to 3 tanks and 3 supports to stop it. This kind of flexibility could be achieved with this approach, rather than the rigid 2-2-2.

I think it gives players more strategic options, without locking them into a rigid system, and it could make matches more dynamic while still keeping team composition balanced.