In the ever-evolving world of Marvel Rivals, characters have become a hot topic among players, particularly when discussing their visual representation. As we move into 2025, the game's extensive roster of heroes continues to expand, with some questionable design choices that have earned certain characters the fan-designated "gooner" label - a term referring to overly sexualized designs that seem targeted at specific audiences.

The Costume Collection Explosion

Marvel Rivals currently boasts an impressive 292 costumes spread across 44 playable characters. These cosmetics are divided into three distinct tiers: Rare, Epic, and Legendary, each offering different levels of visual changes and bonus features.

Rare costumes are typically simple recolors of default designs, while Epic costumes feature complete model changes that range from game-original designs to comic or MCU-inspired looks. The most premium tier, Legendary costumes, not only transform characters entirely but also come with cinematic intros, additional sound effects, and new gameplay animations.

The Gooner Controversy

The term "gooner" has been increasingly used by the community to describe characters with exaggerated physical proportions and overtly sexualized elements. While Marvel has always featured idealized body types, Marvel Rivals has pushed some designs to levels that many players find excessive.

One player in the community forums noted: "I don't mind sexualization of characters, I just feel in this game it's exaggerated quite a bit, especially with female characters." This sentiment reflects a growing concern about the direction of certain character designs in the game.

Most Notable "Gooner" Characters and Costumes

Several characters and specific costumes have earned the "gooner" designation from the community:

Luna Snow

With 9 costumes to her name, Luna Snow's "Abyssal Glow" Legendary skin released in September 2025 has been particularly criticized for its revealing design and exaggerated animations.

Psylocke

Her "Fleeting Butterfly" Legendary costume released in October 2025 features not only a revealing design but also what some players describe as questionable voice lines and sound effects.

Magik

The "Phoenix Demon" Epic skin for Magik released in August 2025 has been noted for its unnecessarily provocative design elements that seem to stray from her comic book representation.

Not Just Female Characters

Interestingly, some male characters have also received the "gooner" treatment, though to a lesser extent:

Venom

His Winter Holiday skin has been pointed out by players as having surprisingly sexualized elements, with one forum user noting: "I mean, why else would they use this for Venom's Winter skin?"

Namor

The recently released "Monstro King" Legendary skin (November 2025) features an extremely idealized physique that some players find unnecessarily exaggerated.

The Developer Response

NetEase Games has been relatively quiet on the controversy, though they have introduced the Costume Customization feature in Season 2 that allows players to modify color palettes of higher-rarity skins. Some see this as a small step toward giving players more control over how characters appear.

Community Divided

The community remains split on the issue. Some players defend the designs, pointing out that exaggerated physiques have always been part of superhero comics:

"I've met women that have those body types in real life. Not to mention there are plenty of male bodies that are extreme too. You think men normally look like Thor, Captain America or Venom regularly?"

Others counter that the issue isn't just body types but the overall presentation: "Well I'm not complaining about body types, I'm complaining about over-sexualization like the hentai moans for death sounds."

Looking Forward

As Marvel Rivals continues to evolve, the conversation around character design will likely remain important. With new costumes being added regularly (the latest batch arrived on November 14, 2025), players will be watching closely to see if NetEase adjusts their approach to character design.

Whether you find the Marvel Rivals gooner characters problematic or just part of gaming's artistic expression, the discussion highlights how character design remains a significant aspect of how players engage with and critique modern games.

For those interested in exploring the full roster of costumes, the game currently features 59 Legendary, 141 Epic, and 92 Rare options, with 29 additional Chromas for select higher-rarity skins - giving players plenty of choices beyond the more controversial designs.