Former Overwatch pro Nevix hopped into Marvel Rivals and immediately began dominating as a Tank, the role that won him tens of thousands of dollars in OW. He quickly reached rank 1 and became one of the best players in Rivals while maining one low-tier hero.
In high-level games, Nevix has been using Hulk to make magic happen, playing the character in a unique way that most other players haven’t caught on to just yet, tier lists be damned.
His playstyle on the character has allowed him to reach great heights with remarkable consistency, having an 80% win rate at the time of writing with no sign of slowing down.
Marvel Rivals player uses Hulk to dominate ranked
For those who aren’t familiar, Nevix was a key part of San Francisco Shock’s dominant 2019 OWL run as a Tank player. The team took home a grand total of $1.5 million dollars that year alone.
After that, Nevix played for Toronto Defiant in 2020 and retired shortly after, disappearing for years only to come back and immediately take over Marvel Rivals with a unique view on how to play.
Normally, when you think of a Tank, you’d think they’re meant to do two things: either they’re meant to dive the backline and cause chaos or make space for their team by soaking damage.
Nevix can fill these binary roles, with Doctor Strange and Thor being his second and third most played tanks respectively. But what he does with Hulk is a bit different, and his playstyle works best with another Tank on the team. This strategy clearly works, and his stats don’t lie.
In Overwatch, when 6v6 was still the main game mode, you’d typically have a main Tank that soaked up most of the damage, and an Off-Tank that played heroes like D.Va to dive backline or Zarya to dish damage and shield allies.
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Nevix’s playstyle hinges on playing an Off-Tank role, primarily playing Hulk to disrupt the enemy team and protect his backline rather than playing solely in the frontline. In other words, he plays counter-engage while occasionally diving when he finds the right opening.
If you’ve ever tried playing Hulk, you may notice that you get immediately shredded if you jump headlong into the enemy team. But that isn’t because Hulk’s bad, you’re just playing him wrong.
Ever had your entire team get wiped out by a Spider Man ult? Nevix is there to stun him out of it. Got a flying hero like Iron Man all over your Supports? Nevix will literally jump into the air and drag them out of the sky. D.Va can be played in a similar way and was one of his best heroes in Overwatch, so it makes sense that he’d be good at Hulk.
Hulk’s ability to shield allies, interrupt key ultimates, jump around more than most heroes in Marvel Rivals, and poke at range give him a considerable leg up in the right hands.
Nevix isn’t the only one making magic happen with this hero either, as Doomfist main ZBRA has also hit top ranks with Hulk. High-level players are beginning to realize just how good Hulk is. Just like Wolverine, Hulk appears to be a hidden S-tier pick.
If you’re trying to be a straight-up frontliner or diver with Hulk, you’re going to get shredded. He’s just not meant for it. But, if you play him to keep your team from getting dived and keep supports alive, he’s an absolute S-tier pick that can get you to rank 1.
