Former Blizzard Boss Calls Marvel Rivals an “Overwatch Clone”
Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra has publicly criticized the new game Marvel Rivals,suggesting that it is nothing more than a clone of Overwatch.
In a now-deleted tweet posted yesterday, Ybarra referred to NetEase Games’ free-to-play, team-based PVP shooter as ”Overwatch marvel Rivals,” asserting that, similar to Tencent’s Light of motiram being “a clear copy of Horizon Zero Dawn,” Marvel Rivals has evidently drawn inspiration from Blizzard’s acclaimed team-based shooter, Overwatch.
Ybarra stated, “Looks like Overwatch Marvel Rivals ships tomorrow,” in his now-deleted tweet. He continued, “Much like Light of Motiram (a clear copy of [Horizon Zero Dawn]) out of China.” He then drew a comparison between character names: “I mean, even the character name - Widowmaker in [Overwatch] vs. Black widow in Marvel rivals lol – NetEase/Tencent – all the same.”
Despite Ybarra’s claims, a community note pinned to his tweet noted an vital context: “Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, is a popular Marvel hero who made her comic debut in 1964, more than 50 years before Overwatch and Widowmaker were created.”
Marvel Rivals officially launched on December 6, 2024, and has made a strong debut on Steam, achieving a peak concurrent player count of 444,286 within hours of release. This number is expected to rise even further over the weekend as more players join in on the action.
The game is described as a ”thrilling, fast-paced, cooperative gameplay experience.” Jay Ong,Head of Marvel Games,previously characterized Marvel Rivals as one of the team’s “most ambitious game development projects,” emphasizing the dedication the developer has put into creating the game.
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Panel Guests:
- dr. Lisa Hardwick – Video Game Culture Expert
- Mark Thompson – Game Developer & Industry Analyst
- Sara Jenkins - Esports Commentator
However, Mark Thompson countered this belief. “While inspiration is normal, there’s a fine line between influence and imitation. If Marvel Rivals is indeed too similar, it raises questions about innovation in the gaming space,” he said.
Sara Jenkins added an interesting angle, emphasizing that fan reception is what truly matters. “Players will judge the game based on it’s own merits. If it captures the community’s interest, that would counter any claims of cloning.”