Overwatch 2 Director thought popular Marvel Rivals feature ‘wouldn’t work’

Overwatch 2 Director Aaron Keller initially thought one popular Marvel Rivals feature ‘wouldn’t work’ in the hero shooter genre, that feature being the game’s Team-Up abilities.

When Marvel Rivals arrived on the scene, it brought about a new sense of competition in the hero shooter genre after years of Overwatch leading the charge. Drawing millions of players over, it innovated somewhat with new map-destroying tech, an endless supply of dazzling cosmetics, and a number of core gameplay shakeups as well.

Chief among the gameplay adjustments was the addition of Team-Ups. These abilities allow multiple heroes or villains to work together in unique ways. For some, they’re in the form of passives that provide damage or healing boosts, while for others, they’re entirely new abilities that can devastate the opposition.

Look no further than Spidey and Squirrel Girl, who together, can slingshot a massive web bomb to trap enemies for a brief moment. It’s Team-Up abilities like this that Overwatch 2’s Director brushed off at first glance.

Overwatch 2 Director jokes about Marvel Rivals’ Team-Ups

Appearing on long-time Overwatch content creator Emongg’s Twitch stream, Keller briefly chimed in on the new competition. When touching on the idea of Team-Ups in Marvel Rivals, he admitted that initially, he thought “This isn’t gonna work.”

Over time, however, he ultimately came to grips with the system and said it’s ‘interesting’ how different characters can work together in that capacity. Ultimately, he couldn’t help but throw out a little friendly jab, joking that in Overwatch, similar ‘Team-Ups’ of sorts, occur naturally.

“In Overwatch, you’ll figure that out in a few hundred hours,” he said.

Aaron Keller on #MarvelRivals Team-Ups 🤝

He initially thought, "This isn't gonna work," but found it interesting how it shows characters work well together. He joked, "In Overwatch, you’ll figure that out in a few hundred hours." pic.twitter.com/dvBTpcmi4j

— Overwatch Cavalry (@OWCavalry) February 13, 2025

Obviously, there have been plenty of combinations in the past, be it Ana and Reaper ulting for a team-wiping Beyblade or once again Ana with Genji for the classic Nano-Blade, we’ve seen plenty over the years, though none forced directly by the game’s systems as in Marvel Rivals.

Based on these comments, Overwatch fans shouldn’t expect to see Team-Ups coming over into Blizzard’s hero shooter anytime soon. But there is still plenty of new content on the horizon, including a whole new game mode, unique cosmetics, and even the return of loot boxes.