With a few thousand hours sunk intoOverwatchover the years, it’s safe to say that Blizzard’s hero shooter is one of my favorite games of all time. I’ve stuck by the game through all the highs and lows - whether it be GOATs orOverwatch 2’s controversial launch, my love for the gameplay and world Team 4 created always beat out my frustration or disappointment. And with so much time spent in the game, I’ve managed to cultivate a fairly diverse hero pool. In my early days with the game, when I was at my best, I played Reaper and Tracer and managed to climb to Master. As I got a bit older and my reflexes started to fade, I worked to get good with more aim-focused characters like Cassidy and Ashe. WithOverwatch 2, I started to play more Tank, falling in love with Reinhardt’s aggressive kit in the sequel and playing Ramattra when I needed a change of pace. When it comes to Support, though, I’m almost always playing Mercy.
To be clear, I have given otherSupports like Kiriko, Brigitte, and Illari a shot. However, none of them have clicked with me like Mercy has, as I can truly consider her my main for the role. I’m fully aware that there’s a stigma around the hero, with Mercy regularly targeted in hero bans and certain players viewing her as a wasted pick. But despite her being the gateway hero for casual gamers and newcomers, I adore her playstyle. I love her movement, as zipping away from enemies and making last-second escapes never gets old. Pulling off a risky rez or a surprising kill with her “Barbie Blaster” is similarly entertaining, while finding the right ally to boost and setup for big plays makes for a fun “game within the game.” Above all else, I love being able to watch the action unfold and make callouts based on what I’m seeing, as I can get a far better read of what is going on while I’m doing Mercy’s “simple” job of boosting and healing. And, of course, Mercy’s many skin options are a nice incentive to stick with her.
While I adore playing Mercy, I’ve never been someone who can play one game and one game only, so I also get my hero shooter fix fromMarvel Rivals. While I can get by as a Duelist, and I’ve found plenty of Vanguards in the game that suit my Tank play style - myReinhardtand Ramattra skills have made me a menace with Magneto and Emma Frost, for example - the Strategist category is a different story. Sure, I like dishing out damage as Mantis just fine, and I find the concept of Cloak and Dagger fascinating… but I don’t love playing any Strategist. I don’t think it’s because of the disrespect Strategists receive, and I didn’t join in on the Support strike or anything like that. Really, I think it’s just because there’s no hero that captures the moment-to-moment gameplay of playing Mercy, who has been my go-to Support character for nine years. That doesn’t meanMarvel Rivalscan’t have a Mercy equivalent, though, as the Runaways’ own Nico Minoru could mimic her perfectly.
While Adam Warlock’s ultimate is essentially a nerfed version of theOG Mercy Rez, everything else about his kit differs from Mercy’s (especially his movement), so playing him just doesn’t scratch the same itch.
Why Nico Minoru is the Perfect Mercy Stand-In For Marvel Rivals
Admittedly, I don’t have a deep personal connection to Nico in the same way as other characters like Spider-Man, Daredevil, Wolverine, or evenCaptain Marvel. I haven’t read any Runaways comics, nor did I watch the show, as it’s one of the only Marvel adaptations I haven’t seen. However, the little I have seen of Nico I absolutely love. Alongside Magik, she was the unexpected standout ofMarvel’s Midnight Sunsfor me, and she was terrific inYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, too. With these two experiences in mind, I’d love to see her join theMarvel Rivalsroster - especially with her being able to share the following traits with Mercy.
Nico Minoru Can Be Both a Mercy Successor and Something More
While I’d love to seeMarvel Rivalsget a Support hero primarily forced on healing and boosting their allies, and I do think Nico fits the bill thanks to the Staff of One, NetEase can go a step further. Mercy has been criticized in the past for having an overly simple kit, so letting Nico do a bit more than boost or heal with her Staff would be worthwhile. Perhaps she could use her telekinesis to pull allies toward her like Lifeweaver, or her Technokinesis to jam enemy weapons and tech like Sombra. Essentially, Nico could be “Mercy with extra steps,” with those additional abilities helping Nico be a bit more meta so that she avoids the criticism Mercy players often have to deal with. As long as she ticks the same boxes of fun movement and being a true support hero at her core, I could see Nico instantly becoming my Strategist main. For now, I’ll just have to keep playing Vanguard and hoping that she shows up in aMarvel Rivalsleakor announcement soon.
