Why Marvel Rivals’ Hitbox Problem Might Be Impossible To Solve

Hitbox issues are commonplace in hero shooters, and Marvel Rivals is no exception to this rule despite how well it has been performing since its launch. Plenty of players have reported issues with the overly generous hitboxes. While these help most actually land some shots, it does come across as frustrating when a Hawkeye kills players without aiming near them. Overwatch and its sequel continue to have hitbox issues, and hero shooters aren’t the only ones who suffer from exaggerated hitboxes. Even PvE titles aren’t immune to exaggerated hitboxes.

This raises the question of why hitboxes simply can’t be accurate to the size of whatever is landing the hit. These issues are technical and can depend on the game engine, with Unreal Engine offering solutions through equating geometry to make simple collision barriers. However, the usual cylindrical and spherical hitboxes that have been used for years are still used for registering attacks. Marvel Rivals’ issue with hitboxes is easier to diagnose but considerably harder to cure than just making the hitboxes smaller and more precise, which would usually be the solution.

Marvel Rivals Hitboxes Don’t Feel Symmetrical

Sometimes, Hawkeye’s Arrows Might As Well Be Logs

If tested in the practice range, players will find that the hitboxes are reasonably precise if they aim to the left of a character. Players have to hit close to a target’s head to get it to register by aiming to the left of said target. This is the opposite story when aiming to the right of the target. Suddenly, the hitboxes feel massive compared to the target they represent, and players will find that aiming to a character’s right makes it much easier to land a hit.

Hawkeye’s projectiles go from arrows to logs when aiming from the left to the right of the target. This means that if a player is trying to hit a pesky Iron Man or Star Lord with someone like Marvel Rivals‘ Hawkeye, Helo, Black Widow, or anyone else with quick enough projectiles to be close enough to a hit scan, tracking them from right to left is more likely to make hitting them easier. Then again, this is quite hard to intentionally implement into live gameplay, especially if players have been conditioned by other FPS hero shooters.

Marvel Rivals Hitbox Issues Stem From Third-Person

It’s What Helps The Game Stand Out

It shouldn’t be forgotten that, despite its comparison to many other titles with similar mechanics, like Overwatch or Paladins, Marvel Rivals is a 3rd person shooter with an over-the-shoulder camera, something relatively atypical for a hero shooter. Although this might seem like a small change, it means that the camera isn’t directly behind the character players are aiming at, and these characters are always shooting slightly to the right despite the projectile going down the middle of the screen. This leads to the hitboxes appearing asymmetrical when tested.

Related

Which characters would you like to see added to Marvel Rivals?

Beyond some of the characters that have already been leaked and rumored for Marvel Rivals, like The Fantastic Four, Ultron, and Blade, I’m really hoping to see some of my favorite heroes added to the game, such as Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Sentry, and maybe even Cyclops. Villains like Green Goblin or Knull would be awesome as well.

If the hitboxes were made more exact to make projectiles hit the characters more precisely, it could mean that players aiming to the left of a target see their projectiles go through the head rather than register as a hit. Players might have to aim to the right of a target rather than actually at the target just to land a hit if the hitboxes are made more precise. At least at the moment, the hitboxes function when aiming to the left, even if they are too generous when aiming to the right of the target.

Compromises Could Alleviate The Worst Hitbox Issues

Limiting One-Shoting Will Help It Feel Less Cheap

With everything going on in a Marvel Rivals game and the extreme mobility characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man in Marvel Rivals have, the generous and lopsided hitboxes aren’t as big a problem as they may seem, especially since most characters can’t one-shot enemies. Even Black Widow, the sniper of the cast, can’t one-hit-kill enemies, yet Hawkeye and Hela have been causing issues everywhere they go. Reducing Hawkeye’s damage, especially with his projectile speed and fire rate, could be a way to disguise the hitbox issues.

In general, balancing patches will alleviate most of the issues seen in the game, and while the hitboxes might not be fixable because of the game’s third-person camera, tweaking things here and there could be a big help. Currently, Marvel Rivals’ cast is incredibly fun to play, and their kits should be kept as is. Most of the balancing issues are due to stats being too high, like Hawkeye’s damage and one-shot potential or Hela’s extreme projectile speed. Characters shouldn’t be able to one-hit-kill without their ultimates to help the hitboxes feel less cheap.

Third-Person Shooter

Action

Multiplayer

Released

December 6, 2024

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer
, Online Co-Op

Engine

Unreal Engine 5

ESRB

T For Teen // Violence

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