Back when I started playing Marvel Rivals, the first thing I asked was, “Is Cyclops in it?” And of course, the answer was not. Yet, I waited patiently until the day Scott Summers would arrive, and well, the day has come. After what I think has been a good lineup of new characters, balance issues aside, especially from one crafty thief, Cyclops is an excellent addition to the Duelist roster in Marvel Rivals Season 8.5, with a simple kit at first sight, yet boasting a high skill ceiling that only a few veterans will be able to make the most out of.
The X-Men Are Complete (Almost)
With the huge X-Men lineup in Marvel Rivals, it always felt strange to see that the leader wasn’t around. However, this might have been a case of delayed gratification, as I prefer how Cyclops feels with the more recent hero designs in the game.
As many theorized, Cyclops is a Duelist. At first sight, I thought he felt a bit similar to Moon Knight in terms of ricocheting shots, being able to burn the backline in seconds. And well, yes, that’s the general gist of his kit, but I do like how Cyclops feels great both at facing the frontline and messing up with a team’s backline.
In terms of his primary skills, you have one with at least a 35m range and eight charges that deal a lot of damage to a single enemy. The next one has a charge of 100 that depletes the more you use it, but bounces between enemies and surfaces. This one has a shorter range, but the fact that it can ricochet across the map and foes is pretty engaging and requires some high skill to pull off eliminations by aiming your optic blast to surfaces before burning down that poor Jeff trying to snipe-heal other teammates.
His other skills are all about mobility, with a dash allowing him to retreat while also shooting enemies and slowing them down, and another that lets him hover for a while and use any of his other skills. Lastly, and my favorite, his ultimate skill, which you can prepare before firing off a blast in a straight line, causing damage, and then causing a huge explosion to finish off any stragglers.
Now, many will complain that Cyclops has a simple kit or is just Moon Knight 2.0, but I don’t think that’s the case. Cyclops feels like a more balanced Duelist, at least compared to recent releases. For starters, it is extremely beginner-friendly. There isn’t bloat at all like in Black Cat’s case. You have a couple of skills that are easy to understand and allow fans of this hero to play as him as soon as he joins the roster. Still, I feel he needs a lot of skill because his true strength lies in using the map’s surfaces correctly and even groups of enemies to ricochet blasts between them. Using him as a sniper will feel counterproductive, so I like it sort of encourages a sort of close-quarters gameplay.
Lastly, as for other things coming with Season 8.5 to Marvel Rivals, I’m okay with most of the balance adjustments. I’m a Rogue main, so I’m glad with her buffs, even if that team-up nerf could potentially hurt her in the long run. Black Cat, while being the DPS I used the most this season, truly needed some nerfs. Doomposters will say she’s “dead,” but I don’t think that’s the case. Also, in terms of events, I’m not a big fan of how all cost more than the Battle Pass, and with so many, it doesn’t look so consumer-friendly. However, many have been waiting for the return of some of these skins, so we’ll all likely end up buying them—I will, despite my price complaints.
A Duelist Without Bloat
Overall, I’m glad about how Cyclops is arriving in Season 8.5, as it shows Marvel Rivals is listening to some of the complaints about the “bloated” kits we’ve heard out there. Our beloved Scott Summers has skills worthy of the X-Men leader, which will welcome many new players, but will reward those who stick with him for the long run. I have high hopes for what Season 9 might bring, and I’d love to see more heroes having impactful skills but without so many buttons or variations. Quality over quantity is the way to go.
