The Good: Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 Ring in the Holidays With Style

On the positive end of the spectrum are the holiday events for both games. As shown below, Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 have a lot to write home about this year:

Overall, these events check every box that they’re supposed to. Sure, there are nitpicks that players can have about the earnable skins for both titles being recolors, but realistically, the events do far more right than they do wrong. A festive version of Mischief and Magic and a deeper version of Winter Splash are the perfect kind of casual fun for the season, while some of the paid skins are truly incredible, be it Ashe’s long-awaited look from the holiday menu art or Peni’s snowman-themed mech. Regardless of which hero shooters players go with this year (or if they split their time between both), they’ll surely be able to get into the holiday spirit.

The Bad: Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals’ Latest Balance Passes Missed the Mark

However, it’s not all sunshine, rainbows, and candy canes at the moment, as there’s room for criticism as well. Both hero shooters released disappointing balance passes. For example, in the case of Overwatch 2, D.Va is going unchecked despite being overly strong for quite some time. Meanwhile, characters like Reinhardt and Junker Queen have received some questionable nerfs, likely as a result of Stadium, with players wishing that Zarya had been hit instead. Freja remains weaker than she should be, while Mercy mains continue to wait for a rework that may never come.

While Marvel Rivals could have scored a big win with a good balance pass of its own, realistically, things aren’t much better for Overwatch 2’s main competition this December. The triple support meta that so many players dislike has become hugely viable again thanks to Ultron’s buff granting him a second drone, meaning that many fights go on and on for ages. Invisible Woman remains too strong after getting multiple buffs many deemed unnecessary, while Gambit feels like a must-pick character since he can do so much. And then there’s Daredevil, whose long-requested nerf saw the extra 25 health from his team-up taken away — effectively leaving him unchanged.

While it’s important to realize that both games are another balance patch away from being fun again, it is a bit of a bummer that their stellar winter events have been hampered by some weak mechanical changes (or lackterof). In the case of Marvel Rivals developer NetEase, being less reactionary and not changing heroes because the loudest voices in the community complained would be a boon. On the flip side, Blizzard could benefit more from hearing out its fan base, as a nerf to a hero like Zarya isn’t exactly a new request. While the good will outweigh the bad if players are feeling festive, and spending most of their time in the LTMs, the main experiences of both these hero shooters are in need of some significant adjustments.