Marvel Rivals’ Phoenix Drew Me Back from Overwatch 2

Alright, let me just dive into this chaotic swirl of thoughts for a second. So, Phoenix is finally in Marvel Rivals! Yeah, I’m swapping Overwatch 2 for a hot sec, thanks to that little twist. It’s not like I’m a die-hard Phoenix fan or whatever. Honestly, I just skimmed her Wiki page and caught her in a character trailer. But — and here’s the kicker — she actually moves like a proper human being. Or, um, mutant. Which is kinda thrilling because, y’know, Rivals had this whole molasses vibe going on before.

Ever since Rivals hit the scene in December 2024, the Reddit crew hasn’t been shushing about how slow the characters seem to move. Some folks said it’s like wading through treacle; others bit the “it’s just a trick of perspective” apple, saying first-person shooters, like Overwatch, just feel zestier. I was totally in the treacle camp, grumbling about the sluggish pace until it got so annoying that I started drifting away.

So now Overwatch 2 has this third-person Stadium mode, right? And seeing Phoenix dart around got me thinking: Were all those previous Rivals characters truly that slow? And oh boy, I gave it a whirl.

Now picture this: a practice arena in both games with these markers for measuring stuff, like damage drop-off (and let’s be real, I kinda just used it to test speed). After some chaotic character swapping, bam! Rivals’ folks take just a half stride more compared to the Overwatch 2 peeps over five meters. But hold on, let’s talk measurements. Turns out, five meters in Rivals is like, 11.5 inches versus 10 inches in Overwatch. Who knew?

And you’re sitting there thinking, “Why should I care?” Here’s the thing: it’s not they’re slow — they just look weird doing it. The characters move at decent speeds; it’s the style that’s whack.

Imagine Cloak and Dagger, Namor, Spider-Man — all these guys, strolling like they forgot their beach towels for a role in Baywatch. Those battle moves? More like ballet intermissions. Attack animations are like, meh. The Winter Soldier’s gun sounds disappointingly wimpy, and Scarlet Witch’s life-sap trick? Zero drama.

But — here’s where it gets wild — Phoenix just brings a gust of fresh air. Her attack sounds have this fiery whoosh, followed by a satisfying pop after a couple of hits. She’s not just shuffling around; she’s blazing across the battlefield, tossing big bangs here and there. And when she shifts or dodges? She does it with pep.

NetEase cracked the code: style and function finally gel without the mushy pudding feel. Phoenix moves like she means business, and even if she’s technically not faster than, say, Cloak and Dagger, her moves feel electrifying. And I don’t need anything more to set my gaming heart racing.