What’s up, everybody? Stephen here. Today, I want to talk about a video game genre that I absolutely love—one that blends strategy, action, and role-play into a single melting pot of fun: the “Hero Shooter”.

What Exactly Is a Hero Shooter?

I think most of us remember when Overwatch dropped. I’m not sure if it was the first hero shooter, but it was definitely the one that took the world by storm. So, what is a hero shooter? My definition has always been if you mixed a shooter like Call of Duty with a MOBA* like Deadlock or DOTA 2. That’s the vibe.

In short, it’s a shooter where you pick a character with unique abilities and roles—tank, healer/support, and DPS—and work with your team to control objectives. These games usually give you more health than traditional shooters, so you’re not getting insta-gibbed by a sniper every five seconds. Instead, you can survive a few hits, reposition, and coordinate with your squad—even mid-firefight. It feels more tactical, almost like what I imagine a BattleTech game would play like.

*If you're not familiar with what a “MOBA” is, imagine a tower defense game, where the objective is to protect towers/points of defense on a map while simultaneously pushing into enemy territory/towers via your hero character and AI controlled minions until you reach the enemy base. MOBAs are just elevated tower defense in my opinion.

Why I Prefer Hero Shooters Over Twitch Reflex Games

The older I get, the more I appreciate games that reward strategy over pure twitch reflexes. Hardcore shooters like Call of Duty® are fun, but they’re all about instant kills and lightning-fast reactions. Hero shooters let me rethink, reposition, and reengage—even in the middle of a chaotic team fight. That’s why games like Overwatch and now Marvel Rivals really click for me. Not to mention, and this relates to my post about TTRPGs last week, I think games that allow the player to not be instantly removed from play are more accessible to new and learning players, and more so hero shooters are easily learned than something like a MOBA is because there isn't as much micro and macro level plays and decision making isn't as intense moment to moment.

Overwatch vs. Marvel Rivals: My Take

Love or hate Blizzard, Overwatch changed gaming. Even today, it’s still big in competitive play, though many call it a “dead game.” Personally, I haven’t touched Overwatch 2. I stopped after the first game. These days, my time goes into Marvel Rivals.

I’ve put in about 100 hours, and honestly, Rivals feels like a polished evolution of Overwatch. The maps are well-designed, the characters feel balanced, and every hero brings something tangible to clutch moments—whether it’s holding a point or swinging a last-second team fight. Plus, Rivals has the advantage of Marvel’s IP. Let’s be real: as cool as Overwatch heroes are, they’re never going to out-hype Deadpool or Wolverine.

What Makes Rivals Stand Out

One thing I love about Rivals is its flexibility. Matches are 6v6, and roles aren’t locked like in Overwatch. You can run multiple tanks, healers, or DPS if the situation calls for it—and swap mid-match. That adaptability feels amazing compared to Overwatch’s stricter role queue. Honestly, the lack of two tanks in Overwatch 2 was a big reason I never stuck with it. As a healer in the beta for OW2, I always felt exposed. In Rivals, that pressure is way less intense—unless I’ve been a menace for too long and the enemy team decides to hunt me down (fair enough).

Recent Matches & New Heroes

This isn’t an “Overwatch hate” piece—I had a blast with the first game and some fun in the second. But Rivals nails the formula for me. Last night, after months away, my friends and I jumped back in. Gambit and Rogue are new additions, and wow—Rogue is a tank and felt insanely strong. Two matches in a row, she dominated the frontline. It took us a minute to figure out her weaknesses and finally shut her down in game three. Super satisfying.

I also played Cloak & Dagger (forgot how fun that hero is) and Gambit, who’s a new healer. His shuffle mechanic? Complex but rewarding. That’s the kind of depth I love that Rivals seems to nail update after update.

The State of Hero Shooters

I think hero shooters still have some staying power — if devs keep the updates coming. Rivals and Overwatch both need consistent patches and fresh heroes to stay relevant. Compared to Battle Royale or MOBAs like League and DOTA, hero shooters don’t get nearly as much buzz these days. Which is wild, because in my opinion, the genre has never been better. We have more options than ever. Rivals and OW2 are strong, and I’m sure there’s some new ones on the horizon (unless the Concord disaster scared them all off). And yes, ive played Paladins as well, Hi-Rez are my boys, but there was ALOT about that game i didnt like, but to be fair, that was prob 3 years ago now.

Your Turn…

Now here is where I sign it over you! Do you play hero shooters? What draws you in? What changes would keep you playing longer? Could hero shooters learn something from MOBAs—or vice versa? Do you feel like they're a more approachable and “re-playable” genre than strictly shooters and/or MOBAs?

Drop your thoughts in the comments or on Discord. Happy holidays, and I’ll see you in video game land. Take care!

WHY I LOVE HERO SHOOTERS (AND WHY YOU MIGHT TOO)