Marvel Rivals finds itself perpetually compared to Overwatch, given its team-based structure with hero characters, many of whom share notable similarities with those in Overwatch. While NetEase has not explicitly acknowledged any inspiration from Blizzard’s game, a now-removed line of code from Marvel Rivals indicates that the development team was well aware of the parallels. In particular, the line referred to a character in Chinese as a "Soldier: 76 replica," directly linking to an Overwatch character. Though it was not intended to be public knowledge, Marvel Rivals data miners uncovered this information before it was eventually patched out.
One of the data miners, Visceral, commented to Polygon about the situation via DMs, noting, "[NetEase] erased it in newer builds but it’s still stuck in my head since Marvel Rivals is the ‘Overwatch clone’ for many people." Visceral and the X0XLEAKS team, who frequently reveal upcoming game features by analyzing code, found the Soldier: 76 reference while diving through Marvel Rivals’ files using custom extraction tools to uncover hidden assets like character models, maps, and text.
X0XLEAKS has uncovered hints of several yet-to-be-announced characters, such as Blade, Daredevil, Phoenix, and Professor X, by analyzing the game’s code. Marvel Rivals’ executive producer Danny Koo acknowledged in an IGN piece that their game goes through many iterations, so some data may not reflect future plans. Despite this, the data mining continues unimpeded, with fans eagerly anticipating the hints of new content. Data miner Stella sees data-mining as beneficial, as it maintains excitement and engagement within the gaming community, drawing comparisons to similar anticipation seen in Hoyoverse’s titles.
To effectively data mine, one must use online tools and possess the skills to verify information accurately. For instance, when Daredevil was discovered in the code, multiple translation checks were performed to ensure its authenticity. While X0XLEAKS does not reveal every discovery, like voice lines suggesting anti-healing similar to Overwatch, their dedication is driven by passion, not profit, as they simply enjoy sharing unreleased information and insights about game construction with fellow fans.
Despite the challenges and the lack of financial incentive, X0XLEAKS enjoys the opportunity to uncover and analyze game elements, adding another layer of engagement for the community: a sentiment echoed by Stella, who views data-mining as an exciting, ongoing puzzle.
