1. Keep It Classy
Marvel Rivals' designations of Strategist, Vanguard, and Duelist are different from other games by design. A lot of these characters are hybrids of traditional shooter/MOBA roles. Sure, Hulk is designed as a tank. I've seen Hulk put up games of 30 kills due to his ability to withstand damage. Think outside the box sometimes when putting together team compositions.
2. You're Part of a Team.. Lean Into It
Perhaps the biggest difference between Rivals and its competitors is its focus on superhero team-ups. One of this season's best is Chilling Assault, which grants Hawkeye Ice Arrows if he's on the same team as Luna Snow. Some of the team-ups are passive, but equally as important and effective.
Hela can resurrect either of her siblings, Thor and Loki, if they're on her team with her Ragnarok Rebirth ability. If they're alive, she can grant them bonus health.
3. Mind Your Surroundings
I know that's a DC movie quote, but it applies here. Yes, positioning is as important here as in any shooter. But I'm specifically talking about environmental hazards. This game has tons of knockback, crowd control, and Jeff the Land Shark who can devour an opposing team and spit them right off the edge of the map.
Keep an eye on how you are to the edges of the map, the buildings, and the conveniently placed jump pads. In Marvel Rivals
4. Study Ultimates, You Can Stop Some of Them
When you hear Scarlet Witch screaming about "Pure Chaos," it's understandable that your first impulse is to be on the other side of the map. Depending on which character you are, you may literally be able to do that.
But it's worth remembering that many of your superpowers have both offensive and defensive capabilities. Captain America's shield, just like in the movies, can reflect a whole bunch of stuff if timed properly, including Iron Man and Magneto's ults because they launch as projectiles.
Once I noticed Storm's tornado in front of me as Winter Soldier, and was pleased to learn that Tainted Voltage can stop her in her tracks. Almost everything in this game has a counter of some kind.
5. Practice, Practice, Practice
Rivals has some seriously robust practice options with multiple firing ranges and the ability to pick which bots you'd like to practice against. One of the best training regimens I've learned is to program multiple Luna Snows to jump around so you can aim train with whatever DPS you want to practice with.
6. What Kind of Dive Is This?
In nearly every match, somebody is going to try and make heroic moves towards the healers. The team that wins this dance has a good shot of winning the match. If you're the one diving, you want to make sure you take a route in which nobody sees you coming. Also, you want your target to be distracted by someone or something else.
Remember that while you're trying to wreck the opponent's backline, they're trying to do the same to yours. Make sure your healer is OK back there. Sometimes, protecting your healer can win the game just as easily as killing theirs.
7. Sometimes a Change of Setting is All You Need
You don't have to play things on the default setting, in fact that's the worst way to do it with some heroes. For example, most high-level Spider-Man mains have turned off the auto targeting on their web swings for more precise movement.
8. Support is Not a Dirty Word
I'm well aware playing support is the most thankless job on the field. But NetEase has gone out of its way to make these characters really fun. Cloak and Dagger switch back and forth between two people for a whole different experience. Invisible Woman can literally disappear when you dive her. And Ultron, particularly when working with Iron Man to activate the Stark Protocol team up, is a menace that can singlehandedly decide matchups.
9. Please, Please Don't Stagger
There will come a time when you have to throw yourself at the point to stall the match and do your best impersonation of Captain America in the elevator in The Winter Soldier movie. But in most cases, you are better off being with your team.
It's funny, when one person leaves or lags out, everybody goes for the surrender button because they understand the match is unwinnable. But these same people will keep trying to 1 vs 6 the opposing in the middle of the match.
If somebody dies, group back up. Use the in-game comms to let everybody know you should group up. Especially at lower ranks, the team with any plan at all, even 10 percent of a plan, ends up winning the day.
10. Don't Forget to Have Fun
Look, Marvel Rivals has given me some of the most fun I've had ever had while playing a game, and some of the most pain. Often these two things have happened in the course of the same match. It's important to remember it's a game, not your job. Heck, it is my job and sometimes I still just need to laugh it off and try again another day.