Defying his reputation, Rocket Raccoon boasts one of the highest winrates in Marvel Rivals across all skill levels. Easy to learn, yet lethal when played aggressively, this guide reveals how to master his unique playstyle.
Rocket Raccoon is Marvel Rivals’ most controversial pick. Despite vocal criticism from parts of the community and content creators, the statistics tell a different story. With a 55% win rate in Season 1.5 (ranking third among all heroes), high pick rate, and consistent performance across skill tiers, Rocket has proven far more effective than his polarizing reputation suggests.
The disconnect stems from his unique offensive playstyle and lack of defensive ultimate, especially compared to the other Strategists. However, play to Rocket Raccoon’s strengths and not what he lacks, you’ll find yourself winning more games as a valuable support.
This guide will break down how to play Rocket Raccoon in Marvel Rivals.
The first step of playing Rocket Raccoon is understanding when to pick him. Rocket isn’t a primary healer as his healing orbs do slow, group-wide healing. Pair him with a strong burst healer with a defensive ultimate to save from teamwipes, like Luna Snow and Invisible Woman. Let them hold the frontline while you keep the whole team topped off.
One underrated aspect of Rocket’s kit is his primary fire’s damage. At its ideal range, it’s so lethal that it can threaten anyone in the backline who stays too long. If your team is having trouble against Venom, Hulk, and other divers, Rocket Raccoon can force them to leave early or risk dying.
The best part is that Rocket’s mobility keeps him safe from divers and flankers, letting you focus on your team more. His dashes, jetpack, wallrun, damage, and self-heal make him self-sufficient to deal with threats or reposition without any help. So, if your team isn’t on top of protecting their healers, then it’s better to switch to Rocket Raccoon rather than dying often.
Rocket Raccoon is also the best strategist to support a dive comp. Heroes who like to dive into the backline, like Psylocke and Magik, usually don’t have the support of their strategist. If angled correctly, Rocket’s healing projectiles can reach them without putting himself in danger. Additionally, his B.R.B. ability can revive them when it doesn’t go as planned.
Finally, you should play Rocket Raccoon with Punisher and Winter Soldier as they have one of the best teamups in Marvel Rivals. The constant pressure from their damage is enough to break any frontline. While you should drop the device as much as possible, make sure it’s in a spot where the enemy team can’t easily break line of sight.
Rocket Raccoon’s healing and damage both come from his weapon. While the primary fire and healing keep separate ammo pools, they share the same reload to fill up either resource. The core of Rocket's gameplay revolves around seamlessly integrating damage dealing in between his group healing. Even so, always prioritize healing and keeping your team alive.
It’s important to understand that Rocket’s healing orbs don’t stack. They heal 70 HP per second for a maximum of two seconds. Multiple allies can recover from one orb, but throwing more orbs doesn’t heal them faster; it guarantees that it will be quickly replaced when it expires. Additionally, Rocket receives half that healing on himself.
For most scenarios, you want to throw a couple of healing orbs and pitch in with damage. Angle these orbs to bounce on the floor and walls to keep them near your allies longer. Unless your team is losing the teamfight or defending against a huge ultimate, Rocket always has spare time to damage. Abuse your mobility and stick to awkward angles for the enemy team; stay near walls for a quick getaway.
Impactful damage isn’t all about depleting health bars. Rocket is excellent at destroying enemy utility. When playing against Doctor Strange, Groot, and Magneto, stay close to the frontline and help break their shields and walls. Against heroes like Namor, Peni, Loki, and Moon Knight, you should focus fire their deployables as soon as they’re out. Aggressive Rockets use their mobility to find off-angles to quickly deal with these obstacles.
As mentioned a while ago, Rocket is a nuisance to big targets like The Thing, Hulk, Thor, and Venom. Keep yourself safe and blast them whenever they try to engage. The same goes for divers and flankers like Spider-Man and Black Panther. In these games, stay near enough to other Strategists so you can protect and peel for each other.
Rocket Raccoon tends to top the leaderboard for most healing as that’s the nature of his group healing. However, impactful healing isn’t shown on the scoreboard. He can’t make everyone invulnerable like Loki, stall the game like Luna Snow, or emergency heal like Adam Warlock, but he can make individual, moment-to-moment plays using his mobility. Play aggressively and proactively to get the most out of Rocket Raccoon.
There’s never a bad time to use Rocket Raccoon’s devices: B.R.B. (Battle Rebirth Beacon) and his ultimate C.Y.A. (Cosmic Yarn Amplifier). They’re both designed to be used aggressively and frequently rather than saved for perfect moments. Many players make the mistake of holding onto it too long, waiting for ideal situations that may never come.
The reality is that C.Y.A. charges remarkably fast - often within 60-90 seconds - thanks to Rocket's constant healing output. This rapid charge time means you should be looking for opportunities to use it multiple times per round rather than treating it as a rare, precious resource. Use it as soon as it comes out at the start of the round and coordinate with your team for the next ones.
What makes C.Y.A. so powerful is its team-wide 40% damage amplification within a 20-meter radius. This buff can turn ordinary engagements into decisive victories, especially when combined with damage-focused allies like Punisher or Winter Soldier. Even without elaborate team combos, the mere presence of C.Y.A. creates psychological pressure, forcing enemies to either retreat, divert attention to destroying the device, or trade defensive ultimates— a trade-off you’ll always happily accept.
Experienced Rocket players emphasize using C.Y.A. to maintain momentum rather than saving it for desperate situations. Drop it on point to force the enemy team off the objective. Drop it when they commit to a push to overwhelm them. Drop it alongside Thor and Punisher’s ultimate to burst through defensive ultimates. There’s rarely a bad time to use Rocket’s ultimate.
The same principle goes for Rocket’s B.R.B. It’s a powerful ability because it guarantees that you’ll always have an extra life on your team. Use it in the waiting room at the start of the round to give everyone armor packs and the occasional jump pack. Don’t forget to redeploy it once the gate opens.
For the most part, you want to keep Rocket’s beacon somewhere nearby and safe so they’ll revive safely. Don’t put too much thought into the armor pack, as it’s not worth endangering your beacon for it. When playing with flankers, consider placing the B.R.B. somewhere closer to keep them within the revive radius.
Rocket Raccoon's ease of use and lack of defensive ultimate give him a bad reputation in the community. Yet, his consistent high win rate proves he's far more than just a niche pick. What he lacks in flashy saves, he makes up for in relentless pressure, teamwide sustain, a powerful revive, and fight-swinging utility.
Success with Rocket isn’t about reacting to enemy plays, it’s about dictating the pace of battle through aggressive positioning, smart ability usage, and constant harassment. In the right hands, he doesn’t just support his team—he actively disrupts the enemy’s gameplan while keeping allies in the fight longer than they have any right to be.
