Mesozoic Rivalry Guide: Controls you need to know before your first fight
About
OverviewMesozoic Rivalry is a PvP fighting game where up to 20 players battle each other as dinosaurs, each with a unique set of attacks and an ultimate ability. This guide covers the controls, the starter dinosaurs, how to build combos, and what makes each playable different so you can pick the one that fits how you want to fight.
What is on this page
Contents
Controls you need to know before your first fight
Check
Every action in the game has a keyboard shortcut and a console equivalent. Sprint is a toggle, not a hold — press it once to run, press it again to stop, but watch your stamina while you do. Block costs special-bar energy, and some attacks punch straight through it, so do not rely on it as a full defence.
- Mouse lock Left Ctrl on PC, D-pad right on console: makes your dinosaur face wherever the camera points.
- Sprint Left Shift on PC, L3 on console: toggle on for speed, but it drains stamina.
- Dash Q on PC, Y on console: short forward lunge that ends with a hit, useful for closing distance.
- Block F on PC, X on console: stops most attacks but spends your special bar and fails against block-breaking moves.
- Light attack (Combo) Left Click on PC, B on console: three-hit chain; press an ability button after any hit to extend into a longer combo.
- Ultimate G on PC, D-pad up on console: only available when the ultimate bar reaches 100%, which fills by landing hits on opponents.
MetaNew Player Survey
The next survey is being prepared.
Your two free starter dinosaurs
Table
When you join the game you immediately have two dinosaurs available at no cost. Both are on the lower tiers but have high skill ceilings, especially Deinonychus.
| Deinonychus | Tier 1 theropod; fast and nimble with a straightforward moveset, though mastering it against larger dinosaurs takes real practice. |
| Megalosaurus | Tier 2 theropod; fragile in extended trades, so it relies on punishing reckless grabs and draining opponent stamina with its third ability. |
| Deinonychus ultimate (Blitzed Grave) | launches the opponent into the air for 50 damage then slams back down for 100 damage. |
| Megalosaurus ultimate (Acidic Demise) | exhales a stream of venom dealing 192 total damage across 24 ticks of 8 each. |
| Deinonychus tip | two Deinonychus players can clash ultimates mid-animation; both take full damage, and the one with higher remaining HP wins. |
Building combos and breaking blocks
Tips
Combos in Mesozoic Rivalry are not fixed strings — you choose when to branch into an ability. The key rules below apply to every dinosaur in the roster.
- Press an ability button right after the first or second hit of your light-attack chain to weave abilities into the combo.
- Any ability marked 'FIRST HIT MUST CONNECT' will not play out the second hit if the first whiffs — commit only when you are certain you are in range.
- Block-breaking attacks ignore the opponent's block entirely; if your dinosaur has one, use it when the enemy turtles up.
- The ultimate bar fills only by landing hits, so play aggressively between ultimates to build charge quickly.
- Maip macrothorax has one guaranteed combo: Dash, two light attacks, Goreborne Rising, Dash, then three more light attacks — everything else depends on the opponent making a mistake.
Dinosaurs you can unlock with MesoMarks
Table
MesoMarks are the in-game currency used to buy additional playables. The table below lists every purchasable dinosaur found in the source material along with its tier, HP, and starting cost.
| Dinosaur | Tier | HP | Cost (MesoMarks) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pachycephalosaurus | 1 | 280 | 500 |
| Styracosaurus | 2 | 380 | 1500 |
| Maip macrothorax | 3 | 430 | 2500 |
| Amargasaurus | 3 | 460 | 2750 |
| Therizinosaurus | 4 | 500 | 3250 |
| Spinosaurus | 5 | 700 | 5000 |
What makes each purchasable dinosaur different
Summary
Buying a dinosaur with a higher tier does not automatically make you win — each one has a specific role and meaningful weaknesses.
- Pachycephalosaurus glass cannon; two offensive block-breaks let it knock opponents off balance, but it struggles against anything that stays mobile.
- Styracosaurus stun-locker; low raw damage offset by constant block drain, a 20% damage buff plus 10% resistance from Battle Stance, and up to five thrown spears at 25 damage each from its ultimate.
- Maip macrothorax brawler with bleed; activating Bloodbath makes all attacks apply bleed for a short window, and its awakened ultimate unlocks a second moveset.
- Amargasaurus ranged defender; every ability except the dash involves explosive spikes, but it has no block-breaking attack at all, so it must force opponents to come to it.
- Therizinosaurus counter-punisher; Scarlett Rupture activates only when the opponent hits you during its window, dealing 45 damage across three hits, and Cleaving Whirlwind can reach up to 260 damage if every tick connects.
- Spinosaurus tank; a passive 35% damage reduction stacks with an additional 25% from Soaked Armor, giving it the highest survivability in the game at the cost of slow movement.
Tyrannosaurus Rex — the fire-based tier 5
StepTyrannosaurus became available to purchase on November 9, 2026. It is a tier 5 theropod built around fire damage and sustained rushing, described as the aggressive counterpart to the defensive Spinosaurus. Some freeform improvisation is needed to get the most out of it.
- King's March charge forward for 30 total damage across 10 ticks.
- Royal Hellfire two quick fireballs at 25 damage each.
- Blazen Earth the final tick of the flame wave is a block-breaker, dealing 50 total damage.
- Charred Exile bite for 15, slam for 20, then fire a fireball onto the pinned target for 15 more.
- Kingdom of Reckoning fire walls on both sides deal rapid tick damage, then a 100-damage fireball explodes for an additional 400 damage on impact.
Community strategy ideas
CommunityThese ideas and tips come from people playing the game. Share your discoveries too!
No strategy ideas yet. Share a tip you discovered.
Share a strategy idea
(ALLOSAURUS!) Mesozoic Rivalry [BETA]
Glossary
Glossary- MesoMarks
- The in-game currency used to purchase additional playable dinosaurs.
- Block-break
- A property of certain attacks that bypasses the opponent's block entirely and still deals full damage.
- Mouse lock
- A toggle that makes your dinosaur face in the direction the camera is pointing, improving aim in close combat.
- Ultimate bar
- A meter that fills as you land hits on opponents; when it reaches 100% you can trigger your dinosaur's ultimate attack.
- Endlag
- A recovery period after an attack during which your dinosaur cannot act, leaving you vulnerable if the move misses.
- Bleed
- A status effect applied by Maip macrothorax during Bloodbath that adds ongoing damage to otherwise normal hits.
- Venom
- A status effect used by Megalosaurus that deals damage over time after its attacks land.
Common questions
FAQWhich dinosaur should I start with?
Both Deinonychus and Megalosaurus are free the moment you join. Deinonychus is faster and more evasive, while Megalosaurus uses venom to grind down opponents over time.
Why does my block keep failing?
Block drains your special bar with every hit absorbed, and a number of abilities in the game are explicitly marked as block-breakers that go through it regardless. Once your special bar empties your block stops working.
How do I land a two-part ability like Virulent Bash?
Any ability whose description says 'FIRST HIT MUST CONNECT FOR SECOND HIT TO START' will cut off after the opening strike if you miss. Get close enough that the first hit lands cleanly before committing to the animation.
Is Spinosaurus worth its 5000 MesoMarks price?
Spinosaurus has the highest HP in the game at 700 and a passive 35% damage reduction, making it extremely hard to kill. The trade-off is slow movement and a playstyle that requires you to let opponents come to you rather than chasing them down.
Can I unlock Brachiosaurus?
No. The developers decided that giant sauropods are too large to work in the game, and Brachiosaurus will not be added.
Game updates can change what is on this page. If you spot something, get in touch and let us know.
