Overwatch 2Season 16 andMarvel RivalsSeason 2 are both seeing strong success in the hero-shooter genre. ThoughOverwatch 2has been part of the hero-shooter genre for nine years now, its latest season has garnered a lot of attention thanks to its newest 5v5 MOBA-like game mode, Stadium. Similarly, whileMarvel Rivalsis a newer title, its diverse roster of recognizable comic book characters and diverse hero kits have played a significant part in its success since its release in December.
With frequentcomparisons betweenOverwatch 2andMarvel Rivals, and many players active in both communities, it’s natural that both games are learning and adapting to one another. For instance,Marvel Rivalsused someOverwatchartwork during its early conceptualization stages, whileOverwatch 2introduced hero bans in Season 16 after seeing the feature succeed in the third-person shooter. Now, looking ahead, it could be beneficial for Blizzard to borrow NetEase Games' currency idea with Costume Coins.
Marvel Rivals’ Costume Coins Deserve to Set a Trend
How To Obtain and Use Costume Coins in Marvel Rivals
Costume Coins are the latest form of currency inMarvel Rivals, which at the time of writing can either be purchased as aMarvel RivalsPick-Up Bundle store itemfor $2.99 or obtained through limited-time events like Galacta’s Gift. It is worth noting that, regardless of method, players must complete a set number of matches to earn a Costume Coin.
After securing the coin, it can be exchanged for either 100 Units, the Legendary Green Scar Hulk costume from Season 0, or one of 32 Epic costumes. For a single hero,Marvel Rivals' Epic costume bundlestypically cost between 1,600 and 1,800 Units. Therefore, converting a Costume Coin to just 100 Units is not advisable.
For reference, 100 Lattice (worth $0.99 USD) equals 100 Units.
Despite the limitations, being usable only on select costumes for base heroes from Season 0,Marvel Rivals' Costume Coinsstill offer immense value. At $2.99 or earnable for free through in-game events, players can redeem a costume of their choice, with minimal effort required. Costume Coins don’t expire, but the ways to obtain them are limited. As such, some players opt to save their diligently earned coins for the future, in hopes that newer heroes will be added to the Store’s Exchange page.
Overwatch 2’s Deeper Cosmetic Pool Makes Costume Coins a Perfect Fit
ConsideringMarvel Rivalsintroduced Costume Coins in Season 2,Overwatch 2could benefit from adopting a similar system, particularly since Blizzard’s franchise has nearly a decade of cosmetics under its belt. For instance, while there are someunavailableOverwatchskinsand rare skins that don’t often make their way into the Shop rotation, an exchange section like that ofMarvel Rivals' for a Costume Coin could help eradicate that feeling of FOMO that is so often associated with live-service games.
Though several rareOverwatchskins have reappeared in special bundles, and even in loot boxes, a feature that returned in Season 15, this doesn’t give players as much freedom or control as a Costume Coin would. To illustrate, players are still subject to rotating store offerings or random chance, whereas a system akin to Costume Coins would allow them to choose the cosmetics they want directly. DespiteOverwatch 2’s content roadmapalready being quite robust, this is a feature Team 4 could consider implementing in the near future, possibly to celebrate the game’s third anniversary in September 2025.
