10 IPs That Deserve a Hero Shooter After Marvel Rivals' Massive Success

It's 2026, and the hero shooter genre has rarely felt this electric. Ever since Marvel Rivals launched, I've watched it pull in millions of players, dominate streaming platforms, and spark conversations about how perfectly comic book powers translate into team-based combat. The game didn't just give us another way to play as Spider-Man or Storm—it reminded the entire industry that a deep roster of recognizable characters, each with a distinct personality and set of abilities, can create something endlessly replayable. Naturally, my mind started wandering through other fictional universes that could nail the same formula. There are so many beloved IPs out there, packed with heroes and villains who already feel like they were designed for a shooter. After thinking it through, here are the ten I believe would make the biggest splash.

I have to start with PlayStation. Sony already proved it could gather its stars in a brawler with PlayStation All-Stars, but a hero shooter makes infinitely more sense. Picture Kratos stepping out of God of War’s Norse saga, swinging the Leviathan Axe at range while using the Blades of Chaos to hook enemies closer. Nathan Drake could be the scrappy duelist who deploys cover and uses rope swings to outmaneuver opponents, and Ratchet & Clank would bring an arsenal of wacky gadgets that rivals anything in the genre. Aloy, armed with her bow and tripwires, would be the perfect trapper. Ellie from The Last of Us could fill a stealthy flanker role, crafting silent bombs and using a bow for precision eliminations. Sony has the internal studios to pull this off, and frankly, after Concord’s stumble, a project leaning on house legends feels like redemption waiting to happen.

Capcom has been the king of crossovers in fighting games for decades, so why not let those characters loose in a third-person hero shooter? Ryu and Chun-Li could easily mix close-quarters shoryukens with hadoukens that travel across the map. Mega Man is a no-brainer: his variable weapon system would let him swap between pellets, metal blades, and flash bombs on the fly, adapting to any team fight. Zero could dance between his Z-Saber and buster shots, and Dante from Devil May Cry would overload the screen with style-switching chaos—guns, swords, royal guard parries, you name it. I’d even love to see cult picks like Amaterasu painting celestial brush techniques to freeze enemies or Phoenix Wright pointing an objection to debuff opponents. Resident Evil favorites like Jill Valentine and Leon Kennedy would ground things with survival-horror pragmatism, deploying zombies or blowing up barrels with precise pistol shots.

Pokémon Unite dabbled in MOBA territory, but a full-blown hero shooter could be the rejuvenation the franchise needs in the multiplayer space. Pikachu would obviously be a nimble duelist zipping around with Volt Tackle and Thunderbolt. Charizard could glide over the battlefield raining fire, while Mewtwo controls space with psychic projectiles and lifts enemies helplessly into the air. Lucario’s aura sphere would punish grouping, and Zeraora would embody the speedster archetype better than most. Healers like Chansey would toss eggs to restore health, Machamp would bulldoze through chokepoints with Dynamic Punch, and Decidueye could snipe from rooftops with Spirit Shackle. The game could even introduce evolution-based ultimate abilities—imagine a Charmeleon suddenly bursting into Mega Charizard X for a short rampage.

Star Trek often gets overshadowed by Star Wars in gaming, but Star Wars: Hunters has already mapped a path. A Star Trek hero shooter could lean hard on tactical teamwork. Captain Kirk would be a pistol-wielding leader with an inspiring presence that buffs nearby allies. Spock would play as a strategist who deals non-lethal pressure with Vulcan nerve pinch stuns and mind-meld reveals of enemy positions. I’d adore seeing Jean-Luc Picard as a commander who deploys a mobile shield generator, while Klingon warriors charge in with bat’leths and disruptor pistols. Ship segments could break up the ground combat—imagine manning the USS Enterprise’s phaser banks during an orbital insertion sequence. Michael Burnham from Discovery would add a modern scientific edge, hacking enemy shields or deploying tricorder scans that mark targets through walls.

Shonen Jump already unites its characters in fighting games like Jump Force, but a hero shooter would feel revolutionary. Goku’s kit writes itself: ki blasts, instant transmission dodges, and a Super Saiyan transformation ultimate. Monkey D. Luffy would stretch his limbs across objectives, grabbing foes and inflating himself to tank damage. Naruto could spawn shadow clones for confusion and then hit opponents with a Rasengan. My Hero Academia’s cast is practically built for class-based roles—Deku as the agile brawler, Bakugo as the explosion-based damage dealer, and Tsuyu as the grappling support. Even Death Note’s Light Yagami could appear as a terrifying psychological duelist who needs to figure out an enemy’s true name by hovering near them, then writes it in the Death Note for a delayed elimination. The sheer variety of anime abilities would generate a meta that never grows stale.

Mortal Kombat has flirted with action-adventures and even dungeon-crawlers, but the hero shooter format could finally deliver its ultraviolence to a wider cooperative audience. Scorpion’s kunai spear would pull enemies straight into a flaming uppercut, while Sub-Zero freezes the ground to control approaches. Liu Kang would bicycle-kick through groups, and Raiden would teleport across the map with electric bolts. I can already see the fatalities reimagined as execution finishers when an enemy is downed but not yet respawned—each character having a signature move that pops up for a split-second cinematic. Tanks like Goro would absorb incredible punishment while pounding the earth to disrupt enemy formations, and zoners like Kitana would fling fans that curve around barriers. NetherRealm Studios knows spectacle, and a hero shooter would let them go absolutely wild with environmental hazards and stage transitions.

Sonic the Hedgehog has always juggled speed, flight, and power, so the archetypes are right there. Sonic would obviously be the speedster duelist, spin-dashing through enemies and leaving afterimages. Tails could fly above the fight and drop ring-based shields on teammates. Knuckles would punch the ground to create quakes, and Shadow’s chaos powers—Chaos Spear, Chaos Control—would let him blink around and disrupt enemy positioning. I’d love to see Amy Rose reworked as a support who uses her Piko Piko Hammer to stun aggressors while tossing heart-shaped heals. Dr. Eggman as a bulky tank piloting a mech would bring area denial with laser grids and rocket salvos. Even deeper cuts like Blaze the Cat, with her fire powers, or Silver, who psychically lifts and throws debris, would flesh out the roster beautifully. The aesthetic alone—those bright colors and loop-de-loop backdrops—would set it apart from every other shooter on the market.

Square Enix already tested cross-over chemistry with Dissidia Final Fantasy, so a hero shooter feels like the next logical evolution. Cloud Strife would swing his enormous Buster Sword in wide arcs while casting Firaga from a distance. Sephiroth’s Masamune would outreach almost anyone, and his Supernova ultimate could blanket an objective in meteors. Tifa would be the melee specialist who chains combos, while Barret’s gun-arm provides suppressing fire. Aerith in the strategist role would plant healing wards and cast Holy to zone enemies. Lightning could paradigm-shift between ravager and medic stances mid-battle, and Noctis would warp-strike around the map, keeping opponents guessing. The sheer number of playable characters across sixteen mainline titles means updates could roll out forever without ever running out of fan favorites.

League of Legends already functions as the spiritual father of hero shooters through its MOBA roots. Adapting its champions into a third-person aiming environment feels almost trivial. Jinx with her minigun and rocket launcher would swap between sustained damage and explosive pokes. Vi would charge her gauntlets to break armor, while Ekko rewinds time to escape bad engagements or land a perfect stun. Ixtal-based elemental mages like Qiyana could cycle through elements for different effects. The tank class translates directly to vanguards—Leona and Braum could shield allies and lock down threats—while enchanters like Soraka and Janna become pure strategists. Seven champion categories in League map almost perfectly onto the vanguard, duelist, and strategist trinity popularized by Marvel Rivals, meaning Riot could launch with a balanced roster from day one.

Finally, the most obvious contender: DC Comics. Marvel Rivals has proven the formula, and DC has the library to match it beat for beat. Superman as a nearly invulnerable vanguard would soak up damage while freezing enemies with his arctic breath. Batman, the ultimate duelist, would use a grapnel hook to reach high ground, deploy explosive batarangs, and vanish into smoke. Wonder Woman as a strategist would block projectiles with her bracelets, heal allies through willpower, and unleash the Lasso of Truth to root opponents. But it’s the deep cuts that excite me most: Solomon Grundy rising from corpses to fight again, Plastic Man stretching across the map to disrupt flanks, Zatanna casting spells by reversing damage. DC has struggled for a cohesive live-service hit, and a hero shooter that treats its universe with the same reverence Marvel Rivals shows—complete with lore, interactions, and themed seasons—could finally deliver that long-awaited victory. The rivalry between these two comic giants would only make the genre stronger, and as a player, I’m ready for it.