With over 10 million players already, Marvel Rivals is moving its way up to being one of 2024's biggest gaming hits. Backed by the ubiquitous Marvel IP, the free cross-platform hero shooter has launched flawlessly, with no server issues or major complaints. Instead, its players are sinking their teeth into the 33 hero roster that reaches into every pocket of the Marvel franchise.

Marvel Rivals does have one noticeable drawback. Currently, Marvel Rivals only has five locations, which themselves are spread out over eight maps. While the launch roster is unmatched in its size, being only ten behind Overwatch 2's roster after eight years of development, its map pool is starting off smaller than Overwatch 1's launch pool. While hero additions are always exciting, Marvel Rivals needs to focus on rounding out its map roster, and when it does, it should lean on its unique mechanics to keep their pool feeling fresh and interesting despite its size.

Marvel Rivals Doesn't Have Enough Maps

Eight Launch Maps Is A Slow Start

For shooters, maps are the life-blood of creating a replayable game. Every year, the new Call of Duty has its worth decided by its launching map pool. While hero shooters can lean on characters for gameplay diversity, maps still play a vital role in ensuring fresh experiences and in keeping match ques rolling. The map roster for Rivals is smaller than typical, with its eight maps spread across three game-modes. Its obvious that emphasis was placed on filling out its character roster, and while they were successful in that regard, the map pool needs to catch up.

Hurting the pool even more is the shared location between many of the maps. Yggsgard, Tokyo 2099, and Wakanda contain six of the eight maps. Sure, the maps themselves offer different experiences and game-modes, but the limited visual diversity is certainly noticeable. Re-using locations isn't an inherently bad idea, but in combination with the already limited map pool, it does present itself as a problem.

Map Interactions Are Primed For Expansion

Rivals Should Further Develop Their Map Interactables

One of the benefits of shared locations isn't actually used with the maps sharing a location. Map interactables are currently reserved for Klyntar, the homeworld of Symbiotes. The map features symbiote blobs that can be shot by players to create additional walkways, block sight lines, and offer alternate angles of approach.

If future maps on Klyntar are released, it would be disappointing if they didn't share this distinct interactable, which itself offers both gameplay and thematic interest. Rivals should lean on these interactables not just for singular maps, but for creating a consistent mechanic for maps in the same location.

This would make the locations actually feel unique beyond their visual diversity, and would likely nullify the fatigue of releasing maps based upon a singular location. In this scenario, shared locations are actually a benefit to the game, wherein players can more intuitively understand and utilize the mechanic. This could potentially reduce the bloat and learning curve of interactables, and instead give the developers more freedom to create even more distinct gameplay options.

Destructible Terrain Can Be A Major Strength

Destructible Terrain Can Create Dynamic Strategies

While map interactables are currently few and far between, destructible terrain is a core feature of Marvel Rivals. Every map has terrain that can be destroyed. Destructible terrain is still being worked out by players, but its inclusion enables a more diverse range of strategies for each of the maps. There are already shortcuts that can be created by destroying specific walls, as well as high-value map positions that have their power leveraged by their destructible and finite nature.

While a case can be made for Marvel Rivals catching up to and even suring Overwatch's hero roster in size, that outcome is all-but impossible for its current map pool.

As with map interactables, Marvel Rivals has created room for further innovation and development. It's difficult to assume the devs' intention with destructible terrain beyond the weight it adds to attacks, but even if it was not originally intended to be a core strategic layer for Marvel Rivals, it remains a lever that can be further developed and integrated into the game. The system is there already; all that's needed is to push the lever further in future map designs.

While a case can be made for Marvel Rivals catching up to and even suring Overwatch's hero roster in size, that outcome is all-but impossible for its current map pool. Starting off already behind, Marvel Rivals should focus instead on creating more dynamic maps by leaning into the mechanics that are unique to the game. Of course, having more maps will always increase replayability. However, more interesting maps can offer the same benefit by extending the excitement and potential of each new entry into Marvel Rivals' map pool.