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Editorial

The Great Role Queue Debate for Marvel Rivals

December 27, 2024

You've probably noticed something interesting if you've been playing Marvel Rivals lately. Every match starts with an unspoken tension: who's going to cave and pick a vanguard? The game's taken a bold stance by purposefully ignoring a role queue system, and it's creating some fascinating situations in almost every match.

Think about your last few games. You've seen those lobbies where three or four players instantly lock in their favorite duelists, leaving the remaining players staring at the character select screen. We've all been there at some point. You sit there, hovering between picking that duelist you really want to play and the vanguard or strategist you know your team needs.

The thing is, this apparent chaos is exactly what sets Marvel Rivals apart from its peers. You're not just playing the game — you're playing the social dynamics before the match even starts. Some players have turned this into an art form, becoming masters of reading the room and filling gaps. Others stand firm with their duelist picks, turning every match into an exercise in creative problem-solving.

It's messy, it's unpredictable, and sometimes it's absolutely brilliant.

You know what's fascinating about the whole situation? Players are adapting in ways nobody expected. You'll see full duelist teams pulling off wins through sheer aggression and coordination. You'll watch solo vanguards carrying entire matches because they've learned to thrive under pressure. The community's getting creative, finding ways to win with team compositions that would make traditional hero shooter players cringe.

NetEase isn't budging on their no-role-queue stance, and maybe they're onto something. Instead of forcing structure from above, they're letting players figure things out organically. Sure, it can lead to some frustrating matches, but it's also creating some of the most exciting games you'll ever play.

Sometimes you have to be the one who plays vanguard if you want to win — even if you never play the role

What's really cool is how this has shaped the community. Players who stick around aren't just getting better at the game - they're developing a whole new set of skills. You learn to read team compositions on the fly. You start to understand when a weird team setup might actually work. Most importantly, you learn to adapt.

Some nights are smooth sailing — everyone picks complementary heroes without saying a word. Other nights feel like herding cats, with everyone running their own game plan. But that's become part of Marvel Rivals' DNA. Every match is different because every team composition is an experiment.

Thankfully, every character and role is a lot of fun in Marvel Rivals

The role queue debate isn't going anywhere. But while other games force players into rigid structures, Marvel Rivals is proving that sometimes the best solutions come from giving players the freedom to figure things out themselves. It's messy, it's unpredictable, and sometimes it's absolutely brilliant.

Next time you're in that character select screen, watching the timer tick down while your team locks in their fourth duelist, remember: you're not just playing a game. You're part of a massive experiment in player psychology and team dynamics. And win or lose, you're helping write the rules for how this whole thing works.

About the author

A true OG of gaming since the very earliest days of the Atari 2600 and ZX Spectrum, Sacrilege is a passionate and driven content creator. A fan of creating 3D animations and skits, he's perhaps best known for building and running some of the most successful gaming community resources for titles such as Infinite Crisis, Predecessor, and now Marvel Rivals. You'll typically find him playing a strategist.


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