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Marvel Rivals is finally heading into it's launch phase! While the game is launching with some balance updates and new characters, we got a great look at a lot of the roster during the closed beta. In this article, we will break down the beta character's rankings to see how they performed before the game officially releases.
An important note for readers: These rankings are for the closed beta. These standings could change on full release! Also if a character is ranked low, that doesn't mean you can't play them and do well. They simply are very difficult to effectively utilize, or have a kit that simply doesn't compare to better characters.
C Tier
For our lowest tier, these characters are your easy to pass on picks. I won't spend a ton of time breaking them down as these are the most likely to see some changes before launch.
These characters simply don't fulfill their roles like they should. Spider-Man and Magik require you to get super close to do enough damage, and you often will get killed before you can do enough damage to make an impact. Hulk and Peni Parker are the worst of the tanks. If you are trying to be the bullet sponge for your team, you have much better options. If you want solid DPS, you again have better options available. Black Panther is unfortunately the worse character in the game. His abilities and ultimate are simply not impactful and it is basically a wasted pick for your team in most cases.
B Tier
This rank focuses on characters that are good in the right hands, but may not be great for the average player. With a lot of skill and practice, you can easily dominate with these characters.
For your healers, you have Jeff and Loki. Jeff is extremely underrated in my opinion. While his damage output is significantly lower than other healers, he offers an incredible amount of Ongoing healing. He can single handedly make your team almost unkillable by healing faster than opponents can damage. He's great for new players to learn a simple healers role without needing to balance heals with fighting, or placing abilities around the map. Loki is tricky, but can be very strong in the right hands. His clones can draw fire away from important targets, and you can constantly distract your opponent's.
Iron Man and Storm are DPS characters that can also fly. These characters can be great at flanking behind enemy lines and breaking up their setup. The flying aspect also let's you draw opponent's attention away from the rest of the match while they shoot into the air. This can give your team the opportunity to push while they are distracted with you.
Star-Lord is your other DPS character, but he is more ground focused. The character is a bit tricky to master, but he is a blast to play. He does have very little health though, making him easy to kill. I wouldn't recommend starting with this character, but with enough practice, you can become a real threat to the enemy team.
Finally, we have our tanks Namor and Groot. Namor is another character that can be rated much higher for competitive players, but will often feel weak to your average player. His auto turrets can provide some sneaky damage at important choke points, as well as provide solid distractions you can watch over. Groot can be incredible at walling off entire routes and protecting your team. This gives you a chance to recover from battles or split up teams. With that said, he also can create plenty of opportunity for your opponents to regroup and heal since you gave them strong cover. This is what knocks Groot down a tier for me.
A Tier
For A Tier, these characters are solid picks all around. They offer a good balance of DPS and versatility for their roles. They don't quite make the cut for the best characters, but they are definitely worth playing.
Your healers in this tier are Adam Warlock and Mantis. Mantis is a great healer, but also a great option for buffing your team. She does require a bit of practice, but she is definitely stronger than lower tier healers. Adam Warlock has one of the biggest impact ultimates in the game, offering a full team revive at the right timing. His healing is strong enough to keep important targets alive, and his DPS is high enough to make him a threat in battle. He does how low HP, but his self revive option gives you a second chance pretty often.
For tank options, Magneto and Doctor Strange are great picks. Magneto can be incredibly dangerous if you manage your Iron Rings well. With his synergy with Scarlet Witch, he becomes significantly stronger as well! His shield gives you a strong option to block damage, while allowing your team to still attack the opponents. Doctor Strange is a unique flying tank, but he offers some unique tools for soaking up bullets. His ultimate is a game changer, allowing for unique combos and a rapid way for your team to rush back to an objective after death.
Scarlet Witch is the only DPS in this tier. I see her worthy of A Tier due to her auto lock attack. For many new players and console players, the ability to deal constant damage without the need to be good at aiming makes her incredibly appealing to a large number of players. Her ultimate ability can be a glass cannon as well. If you manage to stay alive through its activation, the damage output can single handedly wipe out enemy teams.
S Tier
Finally, we have our top characters in the game. These are characters that will be good in any match you play. These characters are the most likely to see some nerfs before launch, but their kits are strong enough that they could easily remain top characters even after nerfs.
Venom and Thor are your best tank options. Venom has the highest tank capacity of all of the Vanguard options. His ability to instantly generate a ton of health makes him incredibly hard to kill. You can quickly swing on top of your opponents, deal a ton of damage and soak up a massive amount of damage. This can waste your opponent's time and ability charges while your team pushed forward. Thor is your highest DPS option in the tank class. He offers a lot of armor to keep him alive, and poses a constant threat while soaking up damage. He also has an incredible team up with Hela.
Speaking of Hela, she and Punisher are the S Tier DPS characters. Hela has an incredibly high damage output, especially if you land head shots. You have to be good at aiming to play this character effectively though. Her team up with Thor and Loki allows them to revive for free, which can be game changing as a bonus ability. Her ultimate is also a very solid option. The Punisher is easily the most straightforward DPS character in the game. He is deadly at any range, and he can single handedly wipe out teams if their healers aren't paying attention.
For the A Tier healers, we have Rocket Racoon and Luna Snow. Rocket has some crazy abilities if you know how to properly use them. His revive station can instantly bring back team mates to the fight, helping you to keep your team in the action. His bouncing healing orbs allows you to heal multiple targets, make heals around corners, and easily heal flying characters. Luna Snow has one of the best ultimates in the game. The healing she outputs makes your team basically unkillable, which can give your team the needed boost to take an objective.
Stay Tuned For Our Launch Rankings!
That covers all of the rankings for the beta characters. When the game launches, there could be a huge shifts in these rankings with balance updates on day 1. The huge amount of new characters can also shake up the rankings dramatically, offering better team ups our out-classing existing characters. Check back shortly after launch for our newest post-launch character rankings!
