Reddit discussions surrounding Marvel Rivals, the purported "Overwatch killer," have highlighted significant concerns regarding its hit detection system. A widely-circulated video showcased Spider-Man successfully hitting Luna Snow from an improbable distance, illustrating a flawed hitbox. Further examples demonstrated inconsistent hit registration, leading to speculation about lag compensation issues, though the core problem appears rooted in inaccurate hitbox geometry. Professional players have even demonstrated a consistent bias, where aiming slightly right of the crosshair consistently registers hits, while aiming left often fails. This points to a more systemic issue affecting multiple characters' hitboxes.

Despite these hitbox controversies, Marvel Rivals launched successfully on Steam, boasting a peak concurrent player count exceeding 444,000 on its first day—a number comparable to Miami's population. While optimization remains a key concern, with frame rate drops reported even on mid-range graphics cards like the Nvidia GeForce 3050, the game has largely received positive feedback for its engaging gameplay and fair monetization. A crucial aspect of this positive reception is the non-expiring nature of battle passes, eliminating the pressure-cooker environment often associated with similar games. This feature alone could significantly shape player perception and long-term engagement.