Norman Osborn has always been a bit of a nightmare. Whether he’s tossing pumpkin bombs at Spider-Man or running a dark version of the Avengers, the guy just exudes "unhinged CEO" energy. So, when NetEase confirmed the Marvel Rivals Green Goblin inclusion, nobody was really surprised, but everyone was definitely curious. How do you take a character who is defined by high-altitude chaos and fit him into a 6v6 hero shooter without breaking the game's balance entirely?
He’s fast. He’s mean. He’s arguably one of the most technical characters to master if you actually want to win games rather than just fly around looking cool.
The Verticality Problem and Why Green Goblin Changes the Meta
In most hero shooters, the ground is where the fight happens. Sure, you have fliers, but Marvel Rivals Green Goblin takes vertical gameplay and turns it into a primary weapon. If you’ve played as Iron Man or Star-Lord, you know the drill: stay up, poke from a distance, and dive when necessary. Osborn is different. His Goblin Glider isn’t just a traversal tool; it’s a physics-defying platform that dictates how the enemy team has to position themselves.
If the enemy team ignores the sky, they lose. It’s that simple.
His kit centers on the Pumpkin Bombs, which aren't just your standard "aim and click" projectiles. They have travel time. They have bounce. They require you to actually predict where a hyper-mobile character like Black Panther or Magik is going to be in two seconds. It’s a high-skill floor. Honestly, if your aim is shaky, you’re going to spend most of the match providing "area denial" (which is just a polite way of saying you’re missing your shots). But when a skilled player takes the reins? It's oppressive.
Breaking Down the Kit: More Than Just Explosives
Most people look at the Glider and think it’s all about speed. It’s actually about momentum. The way the Glider handles in Marvel Rivals feels weighted. You can’t just stop on a dime. You have to bank your turns, which makes Osborn a prime target for hitscan characters like Punisher if you aren't careful.
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- Razor Bats: These serve as his primary tracking tool. They don't do massive damage individually, but they bleed the enemy’s health and force their healers to focus on self-preservation.
- The Glider Charge: This is the "get out of jail free" card. Or, if you’re feeling spicy, it’s how you initiate a team wipe by knocking a tank off the map.
- The Ultimate: It’s loud, it’s green, and it covers half the objective in fire. It's essentially a giant "get off my lawn" button.
Wait, we should talk about the "Team-Up" abilities too. NetEase leaned heavily into the lore here. When you pair Green Goblin with certain other characters—like Spider-Man, ironically—the synergy bonuses shift the math of the encounter. It feels a bit weird to see Peter Parker and Norman working together, but in the chaotic multiversal collapse of the Marvel Rivals story, "the enemy of my enemy is my teammate" is basically the golden rule.
Why He’s a Nightmare for Support Mains
If you’re playing a Strategist (the game’s version of a Support), the Marvel Rivals Green Goblin is likely your number one priority for "Please Delete This Character." Because he can hover at angles that are difficult to track while you're busy healing your frontline, he creates a constant state of paranoia. You have to keep one eye on the sky at all times.
He isn't a "tank buster" in the traditional sense. He’s a backline harasser.
Think about it this way: a good Hulk or Thor will run at you. You see them coming. You can react. Green Goblin just drops a cluster of bombs from a blind spot and zooms away before the first one even detonates. It’s a hit-and-run playstyle that rewards players who understand map geometry better than they understand raw DPS numbers.
The Counter-Play: How to Not Get Wiped
If you’re struggling against an Osborn player, you have to switch off the melee-heavy compositions. Trying to hit a flying Goblin with Black Panther’s claws is a recipe for a bad time. You need hitscan. You need someone who can punish his flight cooldowns.
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- Punisher: His turret mode and consistent rifle damage can swat a Goblin out of the sky if they overextend.
- Iron Man: It becomes a dogfight. Usually, the better pilot wins, but Iron Man’s beams are often easier to land than the Goblin's projectile bombs.
- Luna Snow: Her freeze can be a death sentence for a character that relies entirely on movement to stay alive.
The "Master of the Skies" Mastery Curve
Let’s be real: most people are going to suck at this character for the first ten hours. And that’s fine. The learning curve for Marvel Rivals Green Goblin is steep because of the flight mechanics. You have to manage your fuel, your altitude, and your projectile leading all at once. It’s a lot.
But once you get the hang of the "oscillating" flight pattern—where you dip in to drop bombs and spiral upward to avoid return fire—you become almost untouchable. The best players don't stay in the air forever. They use the Glider to reposition to high ground, fire off a volley, and then dive back into the fray when the enemy's abilities are on cooldown.
Visuals and Sound Design: The "Cackle" Factor
Credit where it’s due, the design team nailed the vibe. The Glider has this distinct, high-pitched whine that lets you know he's nearby. It’s actually a great piece of audio signaling. If you hear that engine revving, you know a Pumpkin Bomb is probably about two seconds away from landing on your head.
His animations are twitchy. They’re frantic. It perfectly captures the "Goblin Formula" madness that Norman is supposed to be struggling with. Even his idle animations on the character select screen feel like he’s one bad day away from blowing up the entire UI.
Is He Overpowered?
Right now? He’s strong, but "OP" is a stretch. He’s a "pub stomper." In lower-ranked matches where people don't look up, he feels invincible. In higher-tier play where people actually communicate and use focus fire, he can be shut down pretty quickly. He has a relatively small health pool for how big of a target the Glider makes him.
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If you miss your dive, you’re dead. There’s very little room for error. If you get stunned while mid-air, you drop like a stone, and usually, the entire enemy team is waiting there to greet you with a flurry of ultimates.
Final Tactics for Success
If you're looking to main the Marvel Rivals Green Goblin, you need to stop thinking like a soldier and start thinking like a predator. Don't engage the tanks. Don't stand in the middle of the lane.
Spend your time scouting. Find the isolated healer. Find the sniper who thinks they're safe in the back corner. Use your Glider Charge to knock people off ledges—environmental kills are your best friend on maps with high falls.
Also, keep an eye on your teammates' positioning. Since you have the best view of the battlefield from up high, you should be the one calling out enemy flanks. You aren't just a damage dealer; you're the eye in the sky.
Next Steps for Mastering the Goblin:
- Go into the Practice Range: Spend at least 20 minutes just practicing "leading" your targets with Pumpkin Bombs while moving at full speed.
- Learn the Maps: Identify the "ceiling" of every map. Some areas have much lower invisible walls than others, which can ruin your escape plan.
- Watch the Fuel: Never initiate a fight with less than 40% Glider fuel. You need that juice to get back out once the heat turns up.
- Coordinate Ultimates: Wait for a teammate like Magneto or Groot to crowd-control the enemy team before dropping your Ultimate. A "naked" Goblin Ult is easy to dodge; a "set-up" Goblin Ult is a team wipe.
Norman Osborn isn't here to play fair. He's here to make the match as miserable as possible for the other five people on the screen. Embrace the chaos, master the flight physics, and maybe, just maybe, you'll see why the Green Goblin is the most feared name in the sky. It's a steep climb to the top, but the view—and the explosions—are definitely worth it.