Marvel Rivals players are going nuts over Jeff, a baby shark

Marvel Rivals is out in the wild through its invite-only beta test, pulling in players and taking the fight to a genre still dominated by Overwatch 2 (even with all its issues). But it seems that NetEase has pulled a trick to get more folks invested in the comic book based third person shooter: Jeff. He's a tiny land shark with a cute little collar, and he's taking the game by storm.

Announced at the San Diego Comic Con last weekend, Jeff is playable right now in Marvel Rivals for those lucky enough to be invited. His original debut was in West Coast Avengers back in 2016, but he has since become a lovable favourite among comic book fans, showing up alongside Deadpool, Kate Bishop, and others.

Jeff plays the role of a support in Marvel Rivals, healing his team and moving quickly across the map thanks to a activatable submerge ability. His ultimate is straight up disgusting though, allowing players to swallow up enemy players in a large radius before spitting them out at a chosen area nearby. He seems really solid, which only adds to his appeal.

While I may not have vibed with Marvel Rivals in my own preview earlier this year, the game is winning over many Overwatch refugees and Marvel fans alike. Some, including one of our own writers Fran, believe it calls back to the earlier, shinier past of Overwatch. No matter which way you end up on the debate, it's always good to have competitors duking it out in a genre, lest complacency lurch its head.

It's also cool to see more niche characters show up in Marvel Rivals. While some like The Punisher and The Hulk are shoe-ins, Jeff and Peni Parker aren't exactly massive names in the minds of your average Marvel fans (minus the Spiderverse movies perhaps), so it's rad to see them get some more time on the big stage.

Are you excited to get your hands on Jeff? Let us know below!