Deadpool is coming to Marvel Rivals as a triple-role character, a first for the hero shooter genre. Read on to find out more about the Merc with a Mouth’s inclusion in Marvel Rivals.
Marvel Rivals Brings the Merc with a Mouth to the Battlefield
Deadpool Comes to Rivals as a Chaotic Triple Threat
Deadpool is coming to Marvel Rivals and, in classic Deadpool fashion, is smashing genre conventions by being playable as every character role. He will be selectable as either a Vanguard, Duelist, or Strategist, with each version of Deadpool functioning as their own character with their own movesets and stats to suit the role.
Marvel Rivals’ latest Dev Vision for their upcoming sixth season released on January 13th, and unlike past Dev Visions which had Creative Director Guangyun "Guangguang" Chen going over the brand new heroes, Deadpool’s showcase was taken over by none other than Deadpool himself. He revealed his three roles and movesets with his usual fourth-wall breaking flair, making overt references to community memes and requests for more Vanguards and Strategists.
Deadpool is Breaking the Rules of the Hero Shooter Genre
While other characters in Marvel Rivals, such as Mr. Fantastic and Ultron, can unofficially overlap in their roles by design, and some characters in other games such as Overwatch’s Doomfist and Symmetra can have their roles changed by developers, Deadpool’s fully dedicated triple role character design is the first time a character can embody every role in a hero shooter.
This triple-role character design for Deadpool, which has never been done before in hero shooters, is ultimately very fitting for the character and his tendency to break the rules and conventions of whatever he appears in.
For example, his appearances in games such as the titular Deadpool game and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 directly implements his chaotic meta humor into his gameplay, such as ripping health bars from the screen to use as a weapon or directly talking to the player during combat. Deadpool’s fourth-wall breaks also carry over to his Rivals moveset through a plethora of unique abilities and mechanics.
Marvel Rivals’ Most Flexible Hero Yet
With his incredibly flexible playstyle, Deadpool is looking to be one of the most versatile characters in Marvel Rivals. The character’s health bar and overall damage output will differ depending on which Deadpool variant is played, with Vanguard Deadpool having the most health at 500 HP, Duelist Deadpool having 250 HP, and Strategist Deadpool having 275 HP.
Deadpool’s role variants will also have abilities unique to them that fit the role; his Vanguard will have various shields including a unicorn plushie, the Duelist form can use more aggressive and damaging katana slashes, and as a Strategist he can heal allies with his Desert Eagles.
Deadpool’s Gonna be Meta — in More Ways than One
Wacky triple-role variations aside, Deadpool will also have a basic moveset across his roles that utilizes his trusty katanas and guns, his regenerative healing ability, and even a taunt he can do on defeated opponents that makes him invincible.
One of Deadpool’s more strange and rule-breaking abilities is a progression system that unlocks new abilities and charges his Ultimate ability, something that’s never been implemented in Marvel Rivals before. Accessible through a book that players can view by pressing F, this skill requires players to level Deadpool up by raising his built-in style meter through more stylish and aggressive plays.
This mechanic, which functions similar to the style meters in Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, is definitely a meta-reference to Deadpool being in a video game, since he directly says that he has to "level up and gain XP" to get stronger like "in those nerdy RPGs."
Deadpool is shaping up to be a complex and incredibly versatile character that can adapt to most teams, possibly being a staple of the metagame during Season 6. While his actual strength as a character remains to be seen, Marvel Rivals players are definitely going to see a lot of Deadpool in their games.
Marvel Rivals is out now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For more on Marvel’s multiversal multiplayer hero shooter, read our article here:
Sources:
Season 6: Night at the Museum // Dev Vision Vol. 13
Marvel Rivals - Official Deadpool 'The Merc with a Mouth' Character Reveal Trailer
