Why I'm not recommending Marvel Rivals to families

I've spent a few days playing Marvel Rivals, a game where teams fight using Marvel characters and their different powers. I know the characters, and I've enjoyed this kind of team game before. But the thing I kept noticing was how often I was being invited to buy something.

That has left me with a clear answer for parents: I would not recommend Marvel Rivals for family play.

The invitations to spend kept coming

I encountered purchase prompts when I first started and when I came back to the game. After playing a couple of matches, I even found it difficult to work out how to get back to playing more.

I wanted to play, and kept feeling sold to. That became a much bigger part of my experience than I wanted it to be.

There is a distinction worth making here. In its December 2024 monetisation explanation, the developer describes the heroes, maps and gameplay as free, with paid extras that change how things look. It also describes ways to earn some of those extras without paying. Those purchases are optional. My concern is how present the selling felt while I was trying to play.

The repeated invitations to spend are the part I would want another parent to know about before downloading it. A free download does not tell you how much selling you will encounter once you are inside.

I couldn't always recognise the characters

The alternate character outfits are called skins. Some changed the characters' appearance enough that I struggled to recognise who I was looking at, even though I already know these Marvel characters.

Knowing Marvel didn't mean I could recognise everyone.

Why I wouldn't recommend it to another parent

I've loved playing Overwatch, another game built around teams and characters with different abilities. I can enjoy that kind of game and still feel uncomfortable recommending the experience to families.

With Marvel Rivals, the purchase pressure and the difficulty of settling back into playing were enough for me. This isn't a game I want to steer parents towards.

About this take

These impressions come from my own first few days of playing. They cover the purchase prompts, navigation and character recognition I encountered. They are a personal take on family fit, rather than a complete assessment of the game's chat, parental controls or suitability for particular ages.