He isn’t a tank. Stop playing him like one. Honestly, the biggest mistake people make when they first figure out how to play Wolverine in NetEase’s Marvel Rivals is assuming that because he has a healing factor, he can just stand in the middle of a choke point and soak up damage. He can't. You’ll get melted by a Punisher turret or a Hela headshot before your passive even kicks in. Logan is a Duelist. Specifically, he’s a dive-heavy, single-target executioner who thrives on chaos and isolation.
If you aren’t smelling blood, you’re doing it wrong.
The Rhythm of the Claws
Playing Wolverine is about tempo. You aren’t like Iron Man, hovering at the back and poking. You’re a heat-seeking missile. His kit is built around the "Berserk" mechanic. When you’re hitting people, you’re building rage. When that bar fills up, your attack speed goes through the roof and your life-steal becomes oppressive.
It feels primal.
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Most players spam the primary fire—those signature claw swipes—but the secret sauce is his "Ready to Pounce" jump. It has a surprisingly long range. You want to use this to bypass the frontline entirely. Don't hit the Bruce Banner standing in the way. Jump over him. Find the Mantis or the Rocket Raccoon hiding in the back. That is your natural prey. Once you land, you need to commit. Wolverine doesn't have a "get out of jail free" card like Magik’s portal or Spider-Man’s swing. If you dive in, you either get the kill or you die trying.
That's the character. It’s high-risk, high-reward gameplay that requires a certain level of aggression that most players find uncomfortable at first.
Why Your Healing Factor Isn't Saving You
Let’s talk about "Adamantium Regeneration." In the comics, Logan can walk through a nuclear blast. In Marvel Rivals, he can get staggered by a stiff breeze if he’s caught out of position. His passive healing only really shines when you aren't taking "burst" damage. If you take 400 damage in half a second, you’re dead. Period.
The healing factor is designed to top you off between engagements or during sustained duels where you’re dodging some shots.
To maximize this, you have to use cover. Even as a melee character. Use the environment. Duck behind a pillar, let the regen tick for two seconds, then leap back in. It’s a hit-and-run playstyle masquerading as a brawler. If you try to facetank a Magneto, you are going to have a bad time. You have to be annoying. You have to be the flea that the enemy team can't stop scratching.
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The Team-Up Synergy
Don't ignore the Team-Up abilities. If you have a Hulk on your team, Wolverine gets an extra "Gamma" boost. This is huge. It changes the math of your encounters. Suddenly, your dive has more weight, and your survivability jumps up a notch. Whenever you're looking at how to play Wolverine effectively, check your team comp first. If you don't have a dive-buddy—someone like Black Panther or Venom—you're going to be a very lonely, very dead mutant.
Managing the Berserk Meter
The meter is everything.
- Build it fast by focusing on high-hitbox targets first.
- Once it’s active, switch to the squishies.
- Don't waste your Ultimate (Best There Is) when the meter is empty.
His Ultimate is a whirlwind of slashes that tracks targets. It’s tempting to pop it the moment you see three enemies grouped up. Don't. Wait for the enemy team to use their crowd control (CC) abilities. If Groot roots you or Luna Snow freezes you mid-ult, you’ve just wasted your biggest playmaker. Wait for the sound cues. Listen for the enemy's big cooldowns. When the air clears, that’s when you let the claws out.
Positioning: The Art of the Flank
You should almost never be walking down the "main street" of a map.
If you’re playing on the Tokyo 2099 map, use the verticality. Even though Logan doesn't fly, his leap allows him to take shortcuts. You want to come at the enemy from a 90-degree angle. If they are looking at your tank, they aren't looking at the hairy Canadian jumping off a balcony onto their healer's head.
Target priority matters more for Wolverine than almost any other Duelist. You aren't there to break shields. You aren't there to suppress fire. You are there to delete the person keeping the enemy team alive. If you trade your life for the enemy’s main support, you’ve usually won that exchange for your team. It sounds grim, but Logan is used to sacrifice.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Chasing flyers: Unless they are very low on health, don't waste your time jumping at a soaring Iron Man or Storm. You'll just get kited and embarrassed.
- Forgetting your secondary fire: His lunge/slash combo does significant burst damage. Use it as a finisher, not just an opener.
- Panic Ult-ing: Pop it when you're at 40% health, not 5%. The life-steal needs time to work.
- Ignoring the "Marked" mechanic: Some abilities mark enemies. Hit those people. It’s basically free damage.
Actionable Next Steps for Mastery
To actually get good at Logan, stop playing "Quick Match" and head into the practice range for exactly ten minutes.
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First, practice the leap-cancel. You can actually cancel the landing animation into a primary swipe to get damage off faster. It’s a frame-perfect trick that separates the casuals from the actual Logan mains.
Second, learn the "vocal cues" of every healer in the game. You need to know exactly what it sounds like when Mantis uses her sleep spores. The moment you hear that sound and see it miss, that is your three-second window to engage.
Third, remap your "Ready to Pounce" to a button you can hit without taking your thumb off the aim stick. Precision landing is the difference between a kill and jumping into a pit.
Finally, stop playing scared. Wolverine rewards bravery, but only the kind of bravery that comes with a plan. Get in, cause blood loss, stay mobile, and trust the regen—but only just enough to get the job done.