The hitbox in Marvel Rivals is controversial

Marvel Rivals, the purported "Overwatch killer," has enjoyed a remarkably successful Steam launch, boasting a peak concurrent player count exceeding 444,000 on its first day—a number rivaling the population of Miami. However, the game's reception isn't without its caveats. Significant optimization issues have been reported, with players experiencing noticeable frame rate drops, particularly on lower-end hardware such as the Nvidia GeForce 3050. Despite these performance concerns, the overall consensus among users is positive, praising the game's engaging gameplay and value proposition.

A major point of contention, however, centers around the game's hit detection. Reddit discussions highlight instances of seemingly impossible hits, with Spider-Man registering damage on Luna Snow from an improbable distance. This, along with reports of hits registering despite visually missing the target, has led to speculation regarding lag compensation and, more fundamentally, flawed hitboxes. Professional players have demonstrated consistent inconsistencies, with shots landing reliably when aimed slightly to the right of the crosshair but failing when aimed to the left, suggesting significant hitbox irregularities across multiple characters.

A key differentiator for Marvel Rivals is its battle pass system. Unlike many competitors, battle passes in Marvel Rivals do not expire, alleviating the pressure to constantly grind for progression. This feature alone is being lauded by players as a refreshing change to the typical freemium model.