Marvel's Overwatch clone isn't even out yet, but Doctor Strange players are already cheesing their way to an easy victory

Marvel's Rivals
(Image credit: NetEase)

Marvel Rivals' closed alpha players are already finding ways to exploit the hero shooter with Doctor Strange's powerful portal loop ability.

While Marvel and NetEase Games' Overwatch-esque FPS title isn't quite here just yet, fans have already been traversing its alpha build for over a week now. With more than a dozen iconic superheroes to choose from and chaotic comic-book combat galore, it comes as no surprise that people are cheesing mechanics in the game's pre-release version. In fact, they're avoiding mechanics altogether. If you know about Doctor Strange's portal-wielding abilities and think, "Those sound like they'd be overpowered in a multiplayer game," you're correct - in fact, they're not so much 'overpowered' as dowright ridiculous, since you can use them to spawn-kill entire enemy teams at once.

I'm immediately reminded of the original Overwatch, Symmetra's infamous teleporter, and how much agony it caused. In clips showcasing Doctor Strange's portal loop power, players strategically place one end of a portal outside the enemy spawn and then the other where said foes will either immediately die or simply be blocked from leaving their starting area. For example, you can place both portals in front of enemy spawn doors, or you can place one at the enemy team's spawn and another off the edge of a map as shown below. Pulling either manoeuvre off doesn't look very difficult either..

The exploit hasn't been formally addressed by developers yet, but with such clips garnering more and more attention, it seems pretty likely they'll nerf Doctor Strange's portal loop ability before a beta or public build launches. I'd wager that the devs are going to change the range for portal placements and limit it to Doctor Strange's immediate vicinity, or they may make it impossible to place portals right outside of an enemy spawn point. Regardless of how the studio alters its 39-character roster and fixes the game-breaking feature in the future, lucky alpha players can at least rest assured that the superpowered sorcerer's ability has a lengthy three-minute cooldown.

Looking forward to playing? Check out our new games 2024 guide for more upcoming titles. 

Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.