"Marvel Rivals is a gooner game!" – Creative Director responds, Reddit reacts
Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play hero shooter in the vein of Overwatch, where players face off in 6v6 matches as iconic Marvel characters like Iron Man, Spider-Man, Loki and Scarlet Witch. Since its Early Access launch in early 2025, it has become one of Steam’s biggest multiplayer hits, regularly drawing over 100,000 concurrent players, according to SteamDB. Despite its popularity, the game has not been without controversy.
Within the gaming community, Marvel Rivals is increasingly being labeled a “gooner game” – a term used for titles that lean heavily on sexualized content, such as revealing outfits or exaggerated character designs, to attract attention. The controversy over the game’s growing use of provocative visuals has reached a point where fans are even creating ranked lists of so-called “gooner skins.”
In an interview with Rivals Assembled, Marvel Rivals Creative Director Guangguang (Guangyun Chen) addressed the growing criticism. He dismissed the accusations, noting that many character designs draw inspiration from classic comic book references. Skins like Mantis or “Psylocke’s Vengeance,” he explained, are modernized takes on the originals. He also stressed the importance of story integration, citing Squirrel Girl’s “Krakoa Resort” skin as an example – it ties into a seasonal narrative and blends contemporary fashion with plot elements. According to Chen, the goal is to strike a balance between visual appeal and meaningful storytelling.
On Reddit, however, Chen’s response has often been dismissed as evasive or typical PR speak. Many users argue that referencing comic book accuracy doesn’t address the core issue – “even the source material was perverse,” as one commenter put it. Critics also point to marketing campaigns featuring overtly sexualized characters like Emma Frost, Luna or even a dancing Venom as examples of deliberate fan service. Others take a more nuanced view, noting that male characters are sexualized as well and that the use of sex appeal in media is hardly new. Some also emphasize the long-standing tradition in comics of portraying characters in skin-tight or revealing outfits.
