Marvel Rivals Maps and Game Modes Guide

In this Marvel Rivals Map Guide, we're covering all the maps and game modes that appear in Quickplay / Competitive.

By the end of the guide, you'll understand each one's nuances along with recommended heroes and team comps for each.

Every game of Domination is a best two-out-of-three format where each round occurs in one of three different map areas. For each of the three rounds, players only have access to a single map area. The goal for each team is to capture the Mission Area by being the only team with players in the objective area for enough time to fill the progress bar (displayed as a semi-circle at the top centre of the screen). 

Under each team’s progress bars, you can see how many heroes from each team are currently contesting the objective. Only a single member of your team needs to be in the objective area to contest. Once your team has captured the objective, having zero or all six of your team on the objective doesn’t increase or decrease your team's rate of progress.

Every round your objective changes based on the current status of the capture point. 

Objectives (Bifrost Garden)

• “Prepare to Head to the Bifrost Garden” - Before the objective unlocks.
• “Capture the Bifrost Garden” - when neither team has claimed control of the objective.
• “Defend the Bifrost Garden” - after your team has claimed control.
• “Reclaim the Bifrost Garden” - when the enemy team has captured the objective point. 

Fundamental Strategies for Domination

• Use multiple entrances and paths to approach the objective
• • Divides enemy attention.
  • It avoids taking large amounts of AoE damage.
  • It makes it difficult for enemy Vanguards to block or mitigate damage coming from multiple angles.
  • It prevents the enemy team from being able to prepare a full defence on a predicted choke point. 
• Primarily position around the objective, only contesting on the actual point when capturing or denying enemy retake progress.
• • Play around walls and structures near the perimeter of the objective point.
  • • It allows you to determine the pace of engagements.
• Take control of high-ground areas overlooking the Mission Area.
• • Gives your team the advantage in attackable areas and LoS.
  • It serves as additional cover to attack and hide behind.
• Destroy structures, ceilings, and floors, which the enemy team uses for cover.
• There are always health packs near the objective areas. Make sure your team uses them and prevents the enemy from grabbing them.

Domination FAQs

• Rounds start with a 30 second timer while, “Awaiting Mission Area Unlock.”
• • Allows both teams to make decisions of where they want to set up their defense and attack before being forced to contest the objective.
• Ultimate charge carries over from one round to the next.
• Map order is random.
• Top of HUD displays: Rounds won, Current objective status, capture progress, and number of heroes from each team currently in the objective area. (Your team left in blue, enemy right in red).
• If at 99% progress, both teams contest the objective, overtime is triggered, and respawn times are increased.

Yggsgard: Royal Palace

TLDR

• Mission areas on Royal Palace are more covered than typical maps, and cause long range heroes to struggle.
• Teams that have the sustain to stay inside the objective area are best for Royal Palace.
• Areas of cover from walls and structures are very strong for both teams. Your team should look to destroy the other team's cover. 

One tip for each mission area

Bifrost Garden

• The objective area is on a higher elevation than either side’s approaching area. This makes playing long-range heroes difficult in this mission area. 

Odin’s Archive

• Tight and close-quarter fights. Almost everyone will be behind cover before anything is destroyed during the first fight. Area control comps are especially strong and difficult to deal with on this point. Also, if your team wins a fight you should push onto the enemy's high ground area to create two separate choke points the attackers must push through.

Throne Room

• The objective area is very exposed on Throne Room. It is surrounded by high ground on one side, and the edge of the map on the other. Heroes who can exploit either of these favor well on this map. When returning from respawn, take advantage of the 4 entrances to the objective. All four paths can be equally strong, but defending is easy if the enemy always knows which door you will come through. 

Hero recommendations

Team comp recommendations for Royal Palace:

• Area Control team comps are strong on Royal Palace due to the majority of fights occurring in close quarters and within the objective area. 

Individual heroes recommendations for Royal Palace:

• Peni Parker, Wolverine and Loki.

This makes playing long-range heroes difficult in this mission area.

Hydra Charteris Base: Hell’s Heaven

TLDR

• When capture progress combined between both teams reaches 50% the map will reorganize itself and the walls will move. (one team could have 20% while the other has 30%).
• All three Mission Areas have hallways along one side of the objective that can be used for flanks.
• Getting cut off from your team in Hell’s Heaven is very easy. Track everyone's position, and don’t get isolated.

One tip for each mission area

Frozen Airfield

• Use both floors’ small hallways between the train and the objective to create angles of attack from cover on the open objective. Don’t stand in the open choke points. There is also really tall high ground near the huge window that only fliers and climbers can access.

Super-Soldier Factory

• The objective is connected to the edge of the map. Watch out for environmental KOs. If you are a hero with a displacement ability, you should be looking for opportunities to knock enemies into the lava.

Eldritch Monument

• Don’t walk straight to the point when the match starts. Always fight to take the high ground overlooking the objective. Halfway through the game it will drop below the objective, but for the first half, your team wants to maintain control.

Hero recommendations

Team comp recommendations for Hell’s Heaven:

• Dive comps are strong on all three Mission Areas because of the flank routes connected to the objectives. Dive heroes can easily engage and disengage from fights using these paths. Backlines are also susceptible to being isolated from their team since they tend to position back near the chokes on these maps instead of near the objective.

Individual hero recommendations for Hell’s Heaven:

• Captain America, Black Panther and Jeff The Land Shark.

Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda: Birin T’Challa

TLDR

• Birin T’Challa has open and exposed Mission Areas, making it better for heroes with ranged damage.
• All three Mission Areas have easily accessible health packs. Try to grab them before the enemy does.
• If you aren’t a Vanguard, avoid playing in the objective area as much as possible.

One tip for each mission area

Warrior Falls

• Once your team has won a fight, destroy the pillars to block off the large middle path. The enemy team will be forced to funnel in through the side entrances. Don’t forget that both sides have a health pack on the top and bottom floors.

Stellar Spaceport

• Only fight on the objective when forced. The objective area is surrounded by strong and protected high ground. Your team is very vulnerable when on the objective, so only position it on point when required.

Imperial Institute of Science

• Play around the pillar before it breaks. Once it has been broken, an effective stall method is for heroes with vertical mobility can jump into the hole, grab the health pack, and jump back up to contest the objective.

Hero recommendations

Team comp recommendations for Birin T’Challa:

• Poke comps are great for these maps due to the wide open space of each objective. Vanguards with ranged abilities paired with backlines who can spam the enemy work best here.

Individual heroes recommendations for Birin T’Challa

• Magneto, The Punisher and Cloak & Dagger.

Convoy rounds start with the attackers having immediate access to the payload they must escort across the map. Before the attackers leave spawn, the defending team has time to set up and choose their positions. Two checkpoints give the attackers extra time when reached, with a 3rd point marking the finish line. Depending on the map, the three checkpoint areas may differ so much as to make certain heroes strong on one point, and weak on another. 

In Competitive mode, the Convoy occurs in two rounds where each team has a chance to be the defender and the attacker. For Quick Match mode, the games end after a single round of either defending or attacking, and the attackers only win if they achieve full 100% escort progress.

Objectives (Yggdrasill Path):

The attacking team's objectives:

• “Destroy Loki’s Yggdrasil Tapping Device”
• “Escort Jarnbjorn to Yggdrasil 

The defending team's objectives:

• “Stop the Yggdrasil Tapping Device from Being Destroyed”
• “Prevent Jarnbjorn from Reaching Yggdrasil”

Fundamental Strategies for Convoy

• When defending
• •  Vanguard’s job to contest the objective and prevent enemy progress.
• When attacking
• • Strategist or sniper Duelist’s job to stay on the objective when their team is moving forward. When the defenders are also on the cart, then it becomes the Vanguard’s job to stay on the payload, while the Strategists fall back.
• Rotate around the payload to use it as an indestructible cover.
• Maintain Control of the the objective as often as possible since taking control has its own separate progress.
• • When your team has control, anytime the enemy doesn't have at least one person touching, Jarnbjorn will immediately begin moving for your team.
• On defense, contesting progress with just one or two heroes alive can be an effective strategy for running down attackers' clock.
• • Only one defender needs to contest the payload to completely halt its progress.
• If no defenders are contesting the objective, the cart will heal all attackers in the payload area for 10HP per second.

Convoy FAQs

• Convoy payload mechanics:
• •  The payload will move as long as no defenders are contesting. 
  • • Each attacker added to the payload area increases the speed at which it moves:
    • • Base payload movement speed: 1m/s
      • +1 hero payload movement speed: 1.67m/s
      • +2 heroes payload movement speed: 1.93m/s
      • +3 heroes payload movement speed: 2.26m/s
    • The speed of moving Jarnbjorn backward by the defending team is not affected by the number of defenders on the objective.
• HUD at top of the screen displays which team currently controls the payload Jarnbjorn.
• • Semi-circle progress bar indicates the progress of one team overtaking the other.
  • Arrows in the progress bar indicate direction Jarnbjorn is moving.
  • Number of arrows indicates the speed of travel determined by the the number of attackers on objective.
•  Jarnbjorn only moves forward when the attacking team has possession and is uncontested.
• 5 min timer at start:
• • Three checkpoints (33.3%, 66.6%, 100%).
  • 1st checkpoint adds 3 min to the timer.
  • 2nd checkpoint adds 2 min to the timer.
• Rounds begin with the defending team having 40 seconds to set up while the attacking team stays in spawn.
• Ultimate charge does not carry over between rounds. 

Yggsgard: Yggdrasill Path

TLDR

• Minimal cover and extra-long sightlines make this one of the best sniper maps in the game.
• Halfway through each checkpoint is a crucial spot for each team to control as it divides the payload's path in half. 
• When the enemy has a lot of ranged damage coming in, try to stay near walls and out of their LoS.

One tip for each checkpoint

1st point

• The main corner is a crucial choke point for both teams. It’s roughly half way to the checkpoint. When the attackers are able to win the corner, the defenders lose all cover to play around. At which point the dividing high ground strip becomes very important for both teams to control since it gives access to both sides of the corner.

2nd point

• U-shaped path with a short lane at the beginning and end, and one long lane in the middle. Watch for flankers using the health pack room in the middle of the “U.” Very easy path to get a surprise attack and be able to briefly retreat to heal themselves with the health pack. 

3rd point

• Compared to the first two points the third point is much more closed with shorter sight lines. Each corner acts as its own choke point, and it becomes very dangerous to push past them. Ensure you and your team stay in your LoS because you can be suddenly cut off from your team’s assistance. 

Hero recommendations

Team Comp recommendations:

• Poke Comps dominate the first point and remain strong throughout the whole map. Just find angles to pressure enemies trying to position away from your attacks.

One hero recommendation from each role:

• Magneto, Hela and Mantis.

Tokyo 2099: Spider-Islands

TLDR

• Spider-Islands has a good variety of environmental layouts, which allow for all types of team comps to work.
• If you’re losing a fight and a retreat seems unlikely, don’t run away from the payload. It’s better to stall some extra time than to get staggered.
• Stay towards to inside of the map on 2nd point to avoid getting knocked off the ledge. 

One tip for each checkpoint

1st point

• One super long hallway to start the map. Both teams need to try and chip away at the other during the initial path to the main corner. Focus on farming ults quickly as the team to get the first ults typically starts a snowball to win the first point. 

2nd point

• The ledge on the attacker's left side throughout the middle of the 2nd point path is an extremely strong tool. Heroes with displacement abilities can consistently get environmental KOs here. Knocking just one enemy off the edge can quickly turn into a fight win for your team. 

3rd point

• The glowing circle doorway gives both teams quick access to the other’s backline. Always watch for the enemy using this door. Put effort into preventing the enemy from using it, and giving your team access.

Hero recommendations

Team comp recommendations for Spider-Islands:

• Spider-Islands tends to be a slower push than other maps. Triple Strategist comps can give your team the extra sustain needed to outlast the enemy team. If you can counter their ults with your defensive ults and create opportunities for your team to push the enemy back, you’ll be well on your way to winning the game.

Individual hero recommendations for Spider Islands:

• Venom, Storm and Invisible Woman.

Empire of Eternal Night: Midtown

TLDR

• Midtown has tons of corners, both teams can repeatedly reposition 
• There are multiple side rooms and high-ground paths. Great for flanking and off-angles
• The 2nd point feels cramped, but the 1st and 3rd have long sightlines that are good for ranged heroes.

One tip for each checkpoint

1st point

• Both sides have 1st and 2nd-floor rooms with a health pack and flank routes. Be careful to not tunnel vision on the main path and watch your flank.

2nd point

• Control middle high ground area. Gives the team with control of it a major advantage. Gives a 360° view of the payload route.

3rd point

• On defense, hold the first choke point as long as possible. Don’t give up the open area unless your whole team has been killed. You’re team will still have enough time for another fight before the attackers cap the final point. 

Hero recommendations

Team comp recommendations:

• With so many pathing options available, Brawl Comps work really well on every point of Midtown. Even on areas with long sight lines, close range heroes can attack from multiple angles, and minimize damage taken by using cover and playing in and out of the side rooms.

Individual hero recommendations:

• Thor, Psylocke and Loki.

Convergence matches have two distinct objectives. First, the attacking team must capture the Mission Area, similar to Domination, except the defending team gets to set up first. Once captured, the attackers escort the payload across the map with a single halfway checkpoint before the finish line as opposed to the two checkpoints in Convoy. 

The attacking team's objectives:

• “Help Spider-zero Return to Spider Islands”
• “Rescue Spider-Zero from the Force Field Prison”
• “Escort Spider-Zero Return to Budokan”

The defending team's objectives:

• “Stop Spider-Zero Returning to Spider Islands” 
• “Stop Spider-Zero from Being Rescued”
• “Stop Spider-Zero Reaching Budokan”

Fundamental Strategies for Convergence

• When defending and losing the fight for control of the initial capture point, retreating and allowing the attackers to partially capture one or two checkpoint ticks can give your respawned allies time to rejoin the fight and turn the tides in your favor.
• Fundamental strategies from Domination apply to the initial capture point. (see above)
• Fundamental strategies from Convoy apply once escorting/stopping Spider-zero. (see above)

Convergence FAQ

• Both teams have 4-min timer for their attack
• • Halfway checkpoint awards 1 minute & 30 sec extra time to the attacking team.
• Escort payload progress mechanics function the same as Convoy (see above). Up to three attackers can increase the speed of travel.
• If the first defending team prevents the attackers from getting a single checkpoint tick (33.33% capture progress), the team attacking second only needs to reach 1 full tick to win the game.
• Ultimate charge does not carry over between rounds.
• In the case of both teams escorting Spider-Zero fully to the end, the next round goes into overtime.
• If both teams had under 1 minute time left. 1 minute is added to each team's timers.
• Reaching checkpoints in OT does not award additional time.
• Overtime does not end until the attacking team has no heroes on the objective.

Tokyo 2099: Traditional & Futuristic Shin-Shibuya

TLDR

• Only one chokepoint is available to attackers when entering the initial capture point. Doctor Strange is a popular pick here to Portal his team past the choke.
• Long sight lines on every point favor heroes with ranged capabilities.
• The center area of every point is very open, and the long hallway layout of the 2nd point and most of the 3rd point make flanking and melee heroes difficult to use.

One Tip for Each Checkpoint

Capture point

• The attackers can widen the choke by destroying walls to their left. Two health packs become available to attackers when taking the long path around the buildings on the left side. Defenders should be set up on various high ground to prevent the attackers from being able to push in.

Halfway checkpoint

• Your team should split off and try to control the top floor of the centre building. The payload path wraps around this room so heroes positioned inside can always attack the objective.

Final checkpoint

• The initial open path is very difficult to defend and the attackers have a major spawn advantage. Giving up space until the finish line comes into view is ok. The majority of your defence will be spent defending the final two chokes.

Hero recommendations

Team comp recommendations:

• The Gamma Charge Team-Up Comp dominates Shin-Shibuya. Iron Man has a good amount of vertical cover to use to fly close to the enemy and melt them with Gamma Unibeam. Strange’s Portal is by far the easiest method of breaking through the defender's hold on the first point to win the first fight. 

Individual hero recommendations: 

• Doctor Strange, Namor and Luna Snow.

Klyntar: Symbiotic Surface

TLDR

• Klyntar has many areas with tight spaces, walls, and structures. 
• The symbiote masses move. You can activate them to access areas or to prevent the enemy from using them or entering some areas.
• Heroes who control space with deployables or spam damage are powerful on Klyntar.

One Tip for Each Checkpoint

Capture point

• When defending, play on ground level behind the choke point. Use the Symbiote elevator to quickly get to the high ground if the attackers try to flank.

Halfway checkpoint

• The high ground next to the jump pad is extremely important for the attacking team to control because it gives them a vantage point over the checkpoint and both entrances the defenders can use to return from spawn.

Final checkpoint

• Use and watch the side tunnels. Even though the final objective area is very open, there are still many options for flanking pathways. Don’t get caught only watching straight ahead of you.

Hero recommendations

Team comp recommendations for Spider-Islands:

• When attacking, running dive comps can translate to quick captures of each point and allow you to bypass the enemy's first line of defence. Area Control team comps make it extremely difficult for the attacks to push up when defending.

Individual hero recommendations:

• Captain America, Peni Parker, Squirrel Girl and Rocket Raccoon.

Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda: Hall of Djalia

TLDR

• The Hall of Djalia is one map you certainly don’t want to walk straight into the enemy. Make sure to use the multiple entrances and paths on each point to divide the enemy’s attention and resources.
• From close and open capture point to a long and narrow halfway checkpoint, and finishing with the cramped finish line, each area varies greatly from the last. You may need to play and position very differently from one point to the next. 
• Stalling ends up being important on this map. Running comps with high sustain can help your team run out the enemy team's clock.

One Tip for Each Checkpoint

Capture point

• When attacking, don’t just walk through main. There are 4 doorways your team can use, plus fliers and web slingers can go on the outside of the map for a wide flank. Use the stairs, top-floor door, and bridge to create multiple angles of attack for your team. Doing so allows your team to isolate enemies or attack their vulnerable backlines more easily.

Halfway checkpoint

• Control the center room with the cylinder staircase. The stairs have a health pack in the middle of them, providing cover, flank routes, and high ground to both teams. Always send people in to set up, or to fight any enemies trying to position inside.

Final checkpoint

• Conceal within the smoke. If you aren’t prepared, the smoke will appear annoying and get in your way. To the prepared, however, the smoke provides concealment for escapes and engages. Long start-up animations like Dark Child’s Slash or Scarlet Witch’s Ult can be channelled within the cover of the smoke and then unleashed upon the enemy.

Hero recommendations

Team comp recommendations:

• Triple Strategist comps, with their high sustain and ability to outlast other comps, favor well throughout the Hall of Djalia. On attack, they slowly take space to capture each point. When defending, they excel at using up all of the enemy's time.

Individual hero recommendations:

• Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Adam Warlock.

Empire of Eternal Night: Central Park

TLDR

• This map sees a lot of steam rolls, so don’t give up if your team hasn’t pushed far. One fight win can snowball into a full capture.
• All three points have very narrow payload paths and funnel teams into head-on battles.
• Each Mission Area has many flank routes. Be sure to keep an eye on them for enemies trying to sneak up on you.

One Tip for Each Checkpoint

Capture point

• Try using the white path instead of sticking to only the main red path when attacking. You’ll be led to a fork which gives you access to two separate high ground flank areas (blue and green). Attacking the point from split angles like this makes capturing the Mission Area much easier.

Halfway checkpoint

• Both teams should keep an eye on the red path as a potential danger zone. Enemies can easily sneak up on your team through these buildings. As the payload turns the corner, the building circled in white becomes the crucial area of contention as the players controlling this area have a massive advantage over players on the payload's path.

Final checkpoint

• Defenders have the advantage on the final checkpoint. The attackers must push up a super long and narrow staircase, to the stronghold choke circled in red. Both blue semi circles can be accessed from inside the buildings and are good for creating cross fire onto the other team. Watch out for environmental KOs on the ledge next to the left semi circle.

Hero recommendations

Team comp recommendations

• Poke comps are strong on Central Park because of the long sight lines and narrow paths. Trying to attack or defend on the final checkpoint without shields and long ranged damage feels like Dracula’s nightmare. The side buildings allow dive comps to try and counter poke comps on this map, so be sure to watch your flank.

Individual hero recommendations

• Groot, Hela, and Loki