Overwatch 2 is full of iconic heroes, with the level of polish for each character arguably being one of the reasons why Overwatch 2 is beating Marvel Rivals at the moment. One of the game’s many standouts is the high-skill DPS character Genji. Like gaming’s other cyborg ninjas, Genji has a natural cool factor that has seen many wanting to give him a try, though few who do can truly master his kit. Genji isn’t a straightforward damage-dealer, as instead of an easy-to-use weapon like Reaper’s shotguns, his primary attack sees him tossing kunai, which require extreme accuracy to be effective with. Much of Genji’s gameplay revolves around knowing when to get in and get out, as weaving between dash resets and deflects makes for a challenging-but-rewarding build-up to the Dragonblade Ultimate.
Genji’s high skill floor and equally high ceiling have earned him a dedicated fan base, with said fan base making him difficult to keep balanced. It’s for this reason that Genji went through a period of consistent nerfs, birthing the “nerf Genji” meme, as he can be utterly overpowered in the right hands even if he’s hard to use correctly for a majority of gamers. Currently, Genji is experiencing a bit of a boom thanks to the “Swift Cuts” perk that reduces the cooldown of Swift Strike, as well as the hero being consistently viable in Overwatch 2’s Stadium mode. However, given the reception to Daredevil’s early Marvel Rivals gameplay, Genji is poised to lose his spotlight to a similar character very soon.
Why Marvel Rivals’ Daredevil is Taking Attention Away From Genji
There’s only one chance to make a first impression, and it’s something that Genji will never get the chance to do again. Players who have spent years mastering Genji may appreciate perk shake-ups and Stadium-exclusive abilities, but because his core kit is so well-designed, he’s unlikely to ever see an extensive rework that makes him feel like a new character. For most gamers, even the best experiences do tend to get old after a while, and there are only so many times one can clean house as Genji before wanting something new. With Daredevil’s kit, it feels like NetEase is beckoning directly to lapsed or bored Genji mains, as its game will have a similar kind of character available come October 10.
The most obvious parallel between Daredevil and Genji is the former’s Objection! ability, which is essentially Genji’s deflect. Not only is the animation for Daredevil’s own deflect extremely flashy, but his deflect rewards skill instead of just sending projectiles directly back at their sender – meaning that experienced Daredevils can send all their deflected projectiles at a single squishy target, potentially killing them instantly. Not only that, but he can deflect even more incoming fire than Genji, as all projectiles, most major cooldowns, and most ultimates can be deflected by The Man Without Fear. Some of Daredevil’s many deflect options include:
- Mantis’ sleep
- Luna Snow’s freeze
- Groot’s ultimate
- Iron Man’s ultimate
- Punisher’s ultimate
- Magento’s ultimate
- Even ultimates that Daredevil can’t return to sender, he can block with Objection!, denying their damage and protecting those directly behind him. Namor, Scarlet Witch, and Doctor Strange’s ultimates are examples of this.
While a more powerful deflect will instantly pique the interest of Genji mains, other similar (and different) aspects of Daredevil’s kit will likely make him even more appealing. His movement abilities allow him to climb walls just like the younger Shimada brother, and he can pull himself toward enemies or speed across terrain via a grappling hook. Sonic Pursuit allows him to mark a specific enemy, reducing damage taken from them and making him move faster when near the tagged foe. He can even see invisible characters at all times, meaning that Genji players sick of dealing with pesky Sombra mains can take out their frustration on an Invisible Woman that tries to run and hide. While there’s no denying that Genji’s kit is incredibly polished and smooth, and he doesn’t need any more abilities to be fun, Daredevil’s core kit has a few extra bells and whistles that could make him refreshing.
|
Daredevil Abilities |
Genji Abilities |
|---|---|
|
Justice Jab (primary melee attack) |
Shuriken (primary ranged attack, two firing patterns) |
|
Objection! (returns incoming fire and ultimates back to sender) |
Deflect (returns incoming fire and ultimates back to sender) |
|
Devil’s Grasp (grapple toward enemies and surfaces) |
Swift Strike (dash through enemies) |
|
Blind Ascent (wall running, players can also cling onto walls) |
Cyber Agility (double jumps and wall climbs) |
|
Infernal Fury passive (supercharge primary attacks, increasing damage and providing longer attack range) |
Damage Role passive (shared by all characters in this role, reduces healing on recently damaged enemies) |
|
Let the Devil OUT ultimate (blinds and damages players who look at Daredevil, while also constantly regenerating Fury) |
Dragonblade ultimate (equip a deadly sword for six seconds, allowing for roughly seven powerful swings) |
|
Team-Ups (Daredevil’s first Marvel Rivals team-up is with Punisher, granting Punisher damaging smoke grenades and Daredevil 25 bonus health/5% extra damage |
Perks (four buffs that can be unlocked and chosen in each game to enhance Genji’s main kit) |
|
Radar Sense passive (periodic pulse that shows close-range enemies through walls, detect invisible enemies) |
X |
|
Sonic Pursuit (tag a chosen enemy to move faster when closer to them and tag less damage from them) |
X |
If Daredevil is a Hit, Marvel Rivals Could Have a Clear Path Forward in The War With Overwatch
Perhaps Daredevil’s greatest strength is that he is not only a Genji-like hero that can bring fans of that character to Marvel Rivals long-term, but that he also looks to be an easier take on Genji as well. Instead of Dragonblade, which can feel ineffective when the wrong targets are prioritized or there is no other ult to combo with, everyone can “Let The Devil Out” with no issue. Not only does this ult deal damage to people looking at the Defender of Hell’s Kitchen, and cause them to go blind temporarily if they look at him for too long, but it greatly boosts Daredevil’s “Infernal Fury.” This passive ability makes his primary melee attacks deal more damage and extends their range, making them easier to use effectively, and it can be recharged outside the ultimate by dealing damage and deflecting projectiles. Not only will Daredevil be a menace in the right hands like Genji, but he’ll be more usable for casual players too, as getting value from some billy club hits is much simpler than wielding shuriken.
It also can’t be understated how popular Daredevil is as a character, as he’s one of the most anticipated additions to Marvel Rivals. If someone loves playing Genji and adores Marvel, naturally, they’ll love spending time with NetEase’s take on Matt Murdock.
Marvel Rivals and Overwatch fans alike should keep a close eye on Daredevil’s performance, as if he causes a noticeable increase in Rivals’ player count for an extended period of time, it can be assumed that NetEase has found a winning formula. Not only could it create future Marvel Rivals characters aimed at attracting the mains of a specific Overwatch 2 hero, but it could aim to make those “clones” easier to use for players who lack the skill to play all the characters they want to in Blizzard’s game. After all, Daredevil won’t just appeal to good Genji players, but those who love Genji’s kit and/or lore, yet aren’t good enough to do well with him. While it remains to be seen if this approach pans out, Daredevil certainly looks exciting on paper, and he could push several Genji mains to leave their Dragonblades in their sheaths for a while.
- Released
-
August 10, 2023
- ESRB
-
T For Teen // Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Violence
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