It’s difficult to stop creating Overwatch comparisons to Marvel Rivalsconsidering how familiar the upcoming Chinese New Year event looks. Those of us who have been playing Blizzard’s hero shooter for the past eight years have seen this before.
Spring Festivalwhich starts on January 23, introduces a up-to-date limited-time mode, which is basically Rocket League without cars. It’s called Clash of Dancing Lions and it takes place in a immense arena with goals on both sides. Teams pass the ball to each other and try to score goals using Black Widow, Iron Fist and Star-Lord – in dancing lion skins, of course. If you replace these heroes with Lúcio z Overwatchyou would just do it Lucioballa mode that has existed in the game since the first Summer Games event in 2016.
It also looks like Marvel Rivals heroes get MVP’s dancing lion animations, the same as theirs Overwatch equivalents. Of course, no game invented the Chinese New Year celebration traditional dance related, but the similarities between the events are difficult to ignore.
Overwatch is growing this year with the Lunar New Year celebrations, in part because it will return to China on February 19, via publisher NetEase no less. IN post last week on Xiaohongshu (aka RedNote), game director Aaron Keller announced several returning cosmetics and a whole set of Chinese mythology-themed skins coming next season.
But until then it will stay that way Marvel Rivals turn around to celebrate. And even if the up-to-date mode looks nothing like Lúcioball, you can bet people will point out how blatant it borrows Overwatch. That doesn’t mean it’s inherently bad, but it does make you wonder how much of the game will be directly aimed at Overwatch fans in the future.
