The Best Part of MCOC
I was thinking the other day about how unusual it is that I’m still playing this game.
I downloaded Marvel Contest of Champions the same day I watched Thor: Ragnarok (still one of my favourite MCU movies.) I remember searching for Marvel games, seeing this one, and thinking it looked cool enough to try.
At the time, if someone had told me that nearly nine years later I’d still be playing it, I would’ve laughed.
Not because I didn’t think it was fun, but because that’s just never how mobile games worked for me. I’d download them, play for a few weeks or maybe a few months if they were really good, and then eventually lose interest and move on.
This one was different.
I still remember those early days trying to figure everything out. Watching Seatin videos and his Weekly Premium Crystal Openings. Watching Dorky Diggity Dave break down mechanics and finally understanding how to actually use parry properly... That whole period of learning the game was such a fun time.
And somehow, that turned into years.
I don't consider myself a highly skilled player. I’m definitely no MSD, Lagacy, or Karate Mike. I’d say I’m probably above average, good enough to hold my own, but still bad enough to put off doing things like Wheel of Fate and Necropolis.
And over the years, like everyone else, I’ve had moments where I didn’t love where things were headed. Kabam has made decisions I didn’t agree with. There have been frustrating metas, untimely bugs, and times when stepping away for a couple of weeks was definitely the right move.
But I always came back.
And the more I think about it, the more I realise one of the biggest reasons is this community.
Not just the content creators who taught so many of us how to actually play properly, but the whole weird, passionate, sometimes chaotic MCOC community.
The forums where people somehow turn even the smallest topic into a 7-page debate. The people who patiently answer newer players’ questions for the hundredth time. The people posting big accomplishments and inspiring everyone else to push a little further. Even the random "disagrees" on my posts where I just sit there wondering what on earth I even said wrong.
Somehow all of that makes this feel like more than just a game sitting on my phone.
And honestly, I think that’s pretty rare.
Mobile games come and go constantly. The fact that this game is still here, still growing, still making people care enough to celebrate, argue, debate, complain, help, and come back day after day after all these years is genuinely impressive.
So yes, credit to the game itself for managing that. But even more than that, credit to this community.
Nearly nine years after I randomly downloaded this because I wanted more Marvel after Thor: Ragnarok… I’m still here.
I think a lot of that is because of all of you.
So for whatever it’s worth: thanks for helping make this feel like more than just a game.
