Wolverine is one of the playable characters in Marvel Rivals, a specialized brawler that prefers frontal assaults and enters a berserker mode to slice his opponents into mincemeat. As brutal as this might sound, Logan is quite a chill guy, but he prefers to be left alone, and this is reflected in his powerful ability kit that allows him to survive and fight for longer while he moves through the field like a beast.

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Armed with a pair of Adamantium claws, Wolverine can dash and overwhelm a single target, rapidly escape when the situation complicates, and regenerate, thanks to his Healing Factor. Plus, he is one of the few characters whose attacks do damage depending on the target's total health, the closest to true damage the game will ever offer. So, if players are ready to learn everything about Wolverine, his abilities, and how to play him, then let's take a look at everything he has to offer. It's time for some Snikt, bub!

Updated April 15, 2025, by Lucas Simons: With Season 2 of Marvel Rivals upon us, fans' favorite Canadian super-hero (not you Deadpool) has suffered some considerable changes that players will find noted below. For starters, Savage Claw has Increased Rage gain (from 7 to 10), while Berserk Claw Strike Rager per hit has been reduced from 7 to 5. Feral Leap has seen its rage generation reduced from 20 to 10, and Vicious Rampage now generates 15 instead of 20. On the other hand, all Rage gained from taking damage has been boosted; now Logan gains 5 points of Rage per hit (instead of 3). His ultimate, Last Stand, had a powerful CC effect that has also been nerfed: the knockdown time has been reduced to 0.75 seconds (from 1 second) per downed enemy. As players might have guessed, there's a hidden nerf sugarcoated with some boost to his Rage generation, and that is the Last Stand crowd control nerf. Wolverine relied heavily on those precious 0.25 extra seconds to claw away bulkier targets from their big bad HP pools, and now that some tanks like Thor and Doctor Strange have received some health boosts, this makes it harder for Wolverine to slay them before they can keep harassing his team.

Wolverine Abilities Overview

Marvel Rivals Wolverine Abilities
  • Savage Claw: Wolverine's basic attacks deal 1.5 % of the target's health + 0.045 % damage per rage point. That is 4.5 % at max rage, for a total amount of 6% per hit.
  • Last Stand - Ultimate: Wolverine leaps into the air in a spiral pattern and then drops to the ground with great force. Enemies are lifted and damage is equivalent to 10% + 0.3% extra per rage point active during the use of the skill.
  • Feral Leap: Jumps forward and grabs the first enemy he enters in contact with, dealing damage equal to 1% of the target's Max Health, with an extra 0.035% damage for each point of Rage. Then, his basic attack changes to Berserk Claw Strike, which is faster and deals more damage.
  • Undying Animal: Wolverine unleashes a fierce howl to briefly reduce incoming damage by 50%.
  • Vicious Rampage: Wolverine dashes forward and unleashes a Claw Strike in an X pattern, dealing damage equal to 1.5% of the target's Max Health, with an extra 0.045% damage for each point of Rage.
  • Regenerative Healing Factor: Gains a healing factor depending on how much Rage it has, from 100 to 300. Once out of combat, Wolverine quickly regenerates or gains overhead, depending on how much Rage he has left.
  • Berserker Rage - Passive: Wolverine builds up his rage meter by attacking enemies or receiving damage, and for each point of rage, he deals more damage with his skills and basic attacks.
  • Metal Cannonball - Team-Up Active: Wolverine has a shared interaction with Hulk and The Thing. He can approach either of them, and both can lift Logan and throw him for a Fastball Special. (Doesn't Generate Rage). Feral Leap can be activated mid air to boost the flight and catch enemies unguarded (especially effective to bring down flying enemies).

Cosmic Cannonball and Gamma Cannonball can both be active at the same time if Hulk and The Thing are in the same team as Wolverine, and both share a global cooldown of 13 seconds if Logan has been thrown or 3 seconds if the Fastball Special has been called off.

Playing Wolverine might not be as easy as it seems since his healing factor can only activate after combat and if his rage meter is filled. This means no constant healing during combat and no immortality. Players unaware of this tend to jump into battle and die faster than intended.

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The secret is relying on Wolverine's dash abilities, Feral Leap, and Vicious Rampage to enter combat and make a fast retreat in case they need it. Undying Animal is a good way to mitigate damage; since Wolverine is the only hero with so much damage reduction, players should take advantage of it.

After leaving combat, it takes a brief moment for the Regenerative Healing Factor to kick in, which can be one of the downsides of Wolverine. Still, it is a powerful tool allowing players to strike fast, deal damage, run, and return for more.

How To Play Wolverine In Marvel Rivals

Playing Wolverine is pretty straightforward, but players should know their limitations. For example, his Healing Factor is not always active. It will only be enabled after Wolverine is out of combat (not receiving damage for a brief time), and that's when it will kick in, healing Logan for a maximum of 300 hit points, depending on his rage meter.

When Wolverine is in maximum Rage, he is basically unstoppable and will cause serious damage to anything that crosses his path. His maximum output damage can be around 45 % over the enemy's maximum health per second, combining skills and basic attacks.

This means that no matter who is in front of him, be it Hulk or Hawkeye, they will fall before his powerful Berserker Rage. But he can be squishy and prone to be overwhelmed if many enemies attack at once. A good and precise player using Hawkeye, Black Widow, or Scarlet Witch (with her ultimate) can delete Logan. Let's take a look at each game mode and how to play Logan in each of them:

Convoy Mode

During Defense, try to remain close to the team and don't rush at the mere sight of the rivals. Wait until there's a gap between the ranged DPS and the Strategists and carve a bloody path using Wolverine's dash abilities, surprising the enemy when they don't expect it. Wolverine is not so good at frontal assaults, despite his damage reduction he is more of a flanker, similar to Magik.

During Offense, Wolverine's job is to take down ranged Duelists from their roost. Paying special attention to Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Scarlet Witch can become quite annoying for the team trying to secure the payload. Once the objective is on the move, it's time to switch to a more frontal assault, as enemies will come ramming to kick the team out of the escort zone. Watch out for enemies like Emma Frost, Scarlet Witch, and Winter Soldier since their kit is pretty effective to counter Logan. Winter Soldier has received a nerf for his ranged attack (since he no longer benefits from Infinite Ammo Team Up with Rocket Raccoon), but he can be quite annoying since he was added to Captain America's new Team Up that grants him a Leap ability, adding more mobility to his kit. So watch out for Bucky and treat him as priority target on sight.

Domination Mode

In Domination, Wolverine is especially powerful against isolated foes, so jump on them, scratch them until they respawn, then dash using Feral Leap to jump out of harm's way. Most Wolverine players prefer this strategy as it is most effective in remaining alive for longer periods, which is more helpful for the team.

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This might indeed be a boring way to play, and some other players prefer to jump inside the enemy group using Undying Animal to mitigate damage. Being thrown by The Hulk or The Thing with a Fastball Special is also a great way to counter a clustered team occupying the zone. Then, follow with Last Stand for a powerful team-sweeping assault.

Convergence Mode

During Defense, Wolverine's dash abilities can come in handy when dealing with annoying mobile targets like Luna Snow, Loki, or Adam Warlock. In Convergence, the Defending team moves first, so Wolverine should overextend slightly further than his team and wait for the precise moment to strike any of the aforementioned rivals.

The priority target should be set on Strategists, as they will constantly heal the enemy team, preventing a wipe and delaying the completion of the objective. Wolverine can jump in, kill the healers, and then jump out using Feral Leap.

During Offense, going against ranged Duelists is the way to go with Wolverine. They represent a high-level threat to his team, and they need to go first to keep the ball rolling. Watch out for enemies like Winter Soldier, Spider-Man, Moon Knight, or Iron Fist, as they are prepared to deal with Wolverine one-on-one and will try to stop him at any cost. Venom can also represent a danger for Logan, so keep an eye out for him if he is on the rival side.

How To Counter Wolverine In Marvel Rivals

Dealing with Wolverine can be a problem for a team full of squishy heroes, but since he causes damage according to health percentage, he also represents a danger for any Vanguard. So, the best way to deal with him is to use as much crowd control as possible. Winter Soldier is his natural counter, but Luna Snow can also stop him in his tracks.

With his "Get over Here!" Skill, Spider-Man can also grab and stop Wolverine for long enough to make him pay for any flanking attempt on the team. Venom does the trick thanks to his Symbionte Resilience and can quickly turn the tide when going toe-to-toe against Logan. Let's take a look now at each Marvel Rivals game mode and how to counter Wolverine in each of them. There are several ways to impede Wolverine from acting effectively by using sideliners like Psylocke and Iron Fist, especially if Psylocke is empowered by Emma Frost since she can create dopplegangers thanks to Emma's Psychic Projection.

Convoy Mode

During Defense, try to use a squishy but mobile target like Star-Lord to bait Wolverine away from his team. Lead him to a trap and surprise him using crowd control skills from any of the available heroes in the team. The best approach is to strike fast and hard and not allow him to use Feral Leap, or he will return later for more. Wolverine will be on the prowl for the ranged Duelists in the team, so protect them at all costs. But don't chase him too far, or there's a chance the enemy will take the payload.

During Offense, Wolverine will be paying attention to each possible gap in the formation to leap in and destroy the Strategists. Protecting them can be tricky if there's no crowd control to fend him off, but not impossible. Remain close to each other and only move away from the payload to regain health or look for cover. Remember, the mobile objective also blocks projectiles, so if range DPS is giving the team trouble, they can rotate and move behind it for mobile cover.

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Domination Mode

In Domination, Wolverine will pivot between attacking the backline and Ranged DPS and will be particularly effective against isolated targets. If players are in control of a Strategist, they should remain as close to the team's core as possible. Vanguards should always protect the zone alongside at least one duelist with a crowd-control skill (Iron Fist, Winter Soldier, Spider-Man) and prevent Logan from leaping and accumulating rage.

Undying Animal gives Wolverine a 50% damage mitigation buff, but it only lasts for 5 seconds, so wait until it fades off and take him down. If he escapes, there's a high chance he will be back for more in a few seconds and, what's worse, fully healed, so don't give him that chance. Flying heroes such as Storm, Iron Man, Human Torch, or Scarlet Witch are quite a pain for Wolverine to deal with, so use them to make him suffer. The hitbox for all flying heroes has been slightly reduced in Season 2, but still, watch out for that Fast Ball special and Feral Leap combo since it can bring anyone down in a matter of seconds.

Convergence Mode

During Defense, if players are in control of a Ranged Duelist such as Black Widow, there's a high chance Wolverine will go after them. To prevent this, try to look for the position that gives an open view of the enemy spawn zones and watch out for the flanks, as Wolverine prefers to leap from the side instead of frontal assaults. Take a Melee Duelist to bait him and pin him down for an easy kill. Spider-Man works like a charm since his high mobility can measure up to Wolverine's.

During Offense, Wolverine will be prioritizing Strategists instead of Ranged Duelists, so keep an eye out for them. Vanguards should position themselves closer to Strategists to protect them, while Ranged Duelists scan the area for possible flankers. Wolverine might not be alone, and if he is accompanied by Magik, Hulk, and Black Panther, then it is going to be annoying to deal with that combo. Use Thor to push him out of the equation or Venom to delay his attacks and focus damage on him until his mitigation skill runs out.

Best Team Composition For Wolverine In Marvel Rivals

Best Team Composition for Wolverine Marvel Rivals

There are no other team compositions in Marvel Rivals that benefit Wolverine more than to have Bruce Banner/Hulk in his party. Together, they can perform a killer move called Gamma Fastball and surprise the enemy with a powerful combined assault. Jeff, the Land Shark, also empowers Wolverine if he follows him closely for healing and ranged support.

If players want to go wild, they can also add Magik, Black Panther, and Hawkeye to the mix for a complete and powerful lineup that covers all gaps and allows Wolverine to act singularly for longer periods. Be it holding ranged DPS at bay or aiding in fast and lethal ganks.

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Third-Person Shooter
Action
Multiplayer
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
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Released
December 6, 2024
ESRB
T For Teen // Violence
Developer(s)
NetEase Games
Publisher(s)
NetEase Games
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Limited - console crossplay, no PC crossplay
Cross Save
No
Franchise
Marvel
Number of Players
1-6
Steam Deck Compatibility
Unknown
PC Release Date
December 6, 2024
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
December 6, 2024
PS5 Release Date
December 6, 2024
Genre(s)
Third-Person Shooter, Action, Multiplayer
How Long To Beat
7.5 hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
20 GB
OpenCritic Rating
Strong