Marvel Rivals: Tips for new players

Marvel Rivals was an unexpected huge hit that took over the hero shooter genre. It feels like everyone is jumping into the game. Whether you want in because of your love for ComicBook heroes or you want to experience the accelerating gameplay, then this guide is for you! I’m going to give you a few tips for beginners that will surely prime you for most of what you will face in the game.

If after a few matches you figure that you get the gist of it and the rank climb seems slow to you, I would recommend you try out some of the Marvel Rivals rank boost services. This is in order to get you to whatever rank you feel the most comfortable at without doing the actual climbing yourself. Those gold rank reward skins are usually so great!

Learn every hero. Even the ones you don’t play!

It’s tempting to lock in your favourite Marvel character and stick with them every match. But one of the most important things in Marvel Rivals is understanding the full roster and not just the ones you like gameplay-wise.

Each hero has special skills, counters, and synergies. You won't know how to fight or support every hero if you don't know what they are capable of. Learn what each hero brings to the battlefield by playing casual battles or spending time in training mode.

Pro tip: Even watching short YouTube guides on unfamiliar heroes can help you understand their threat level and weaknesses. Be sure the guides are talking about the latest version of the game!

Knowing when to use abilities

Unlike traditional shooters, hero shooters, like Marvel Rivals, has characters with abilities that can turn the tide of battle — but they come with cooldowns! That means you need to be intentional with your usage.

Don’t just spam your skills the moment you see an enemy. Hold onto crowd control, mobility, or healing abilities until they make a difference. For example, Iron Man’s missiles are deadly, but they’re best when aimed at clustered enemies. Likewise, teleportation or movement abilities are often your only escape from a bad fight. Don’t waste movement abilities to get back to the front faster. Patience wins games!

Remember to play the objective!

This is one of the most common mistakes new players make. In objective-based modes, it’s tempting to chase down low-health enemies and pad your kill stats — but Marvel Rivals is a team game at its core.

If the objective is capturing a point or escorting a payload, you win by controlling space, pushing as a unit, and focusing on the mission. You can win with fewer eliminations if your team holds the objective better.

Always ask yourself: “Is this fight helping us win the match?”

Positioning is key

In Marvel Rivals, smart positioning separates good players from great ones. Running down without thinking every life is a recipe for disaster.

Tanks should be on the frontlines, soaking damage and protecting squishier teammates.

DPS heroes need angles and elevation to land their burst damage safely.

Support heroes should stay just behind the frontline, ready to heal or boost allies.

Use cover, high ground, and flanks to your advantage. The moment you’re caught in the open, you’re vulnerable — no matter who you’re playing!

Retreating and regrouping

This tip is simple, but vital: stop trickling in. One of the biggest mistakes new players make is jumping back into fights solo after dying, or peeling off of the group only to get eliminated again without backup.

If half your team is dead, wait. Group up, heal up, and push together. A full team of 5 has a much higher chance of winning a fight than two heroes diving in randomly.

Likewise, if you’re low on health and your support is down, make sure to back out. There’s no shame in retreating, especially when it means you live to fight again with full health and cooldowns.

Communicate with Your Team

Voice chat is ideal, but not everyone uses it, and that’s okay! Marvel Rivals provides a ping system that lets you mark objectives, warn teammates, and suggest regrouping.

Whether you're calling out an enemy flanker or marking the payload, communication increases your team’s awareness and coordination. Even one well-timed ping can prevent a teammate from walking into an ambush.

Make sure to activate the 8 communication wheel options in the options menu so you can communicate even better with your teammates without resorting to voice chat!

Understand Hero Roles and Synergy

Each character in Marvel Rivals falls into basic roles like Vanguards (tank), Duelists (DPS), or Strategists (support). Knowing how your hero fits into teamplay is crucial.

You don’t stand behind enemy lines with The Hulk. Your job is to initiate, protect, and disrupt.

Don’t expect Doctor Strange to duel frontline enemies. He’s best amplifying allies and controlling space.

DPS like Star-Lord or Scarlet Witch should coordinate with tanks to follow up and finish off enemies.

Synergy is everything. Pairing a crowd-control tank like Groot with an AoE DPS like Storm can devastate grouped enemies. Start thinking about how your hero combos with others.

Switch Heroes Mid-Match if necessary

Like other popular hero shooters, Marvel Rivals allows hero swapping during a match, and this is very useful to turn the tide!

If your current hero isn’t working because the enemy team is countering your hero, switch to someone better suited. If your team is struggling with survivability, consider going support. If you’re lacking front-line presence, pick a tank.

Being flexible makes you more valuable to your team than any single mastery ever could.

You’re probably going to lose a lot and that’s okay.

Expect to struggle your first few games. You’ll get outplayed, misuse abilities, and maybe even forget the objective once or twice.

The best Marvel Rivals players were once beginners too. Take losses as learning experiences. Watch replays or VODs to spot what went wrong. Are you overextending? Missing crucial cooldowns? Failing to position properly?

Checking a match where your performance was particularly bad is crucial to becoming better!

Play with friends!

While solo queue can be fun, Marvel Rivals shines when played with friends. Coordinated teams dominate random players. Having allies who communicate, combo abilities, and fill needed roles is a massive edge.

If you don’t have friends who play, consider joining Discord communities, Reddit groups, or official forums. Finding a duo partner or team can level up your experience and unlock a much deeper layer of gameplay.

Plus, it’s just more fun to play with friends, whether you’re losing or winning!

In conclusion

Marvel Rivals is an incredibly fun hero shooter, and it has shown that it’s here to stay. With new heroes coming every month for the foreseeable future and updates that make it clear that the devs are listening to the players, I think it’s safe to say this game has a bright future. So bring your friends together and try it out!