Marvel Rivals Reveals Season 1 Balance Changes

Marvel Rivals Season 1 Prepares for Launch with Extensive Balance Patch

NetEase has dropped a significant balance patch for Marvel Rivals just before Season 1's January 10th launch. This update features adjustments across the board, affecting heroes in all categories – Duelists, Vanguards, and Strategists – alongside tweaks to team-up abilities. The changes aim to re-calibrate the game's meta ahead of the substantial Season 1 content drop centered around the Fantastic Four.

Since its late 2024 release, Marvel Rivals has quickly gained popularity within the hero-shooter genre. Its compelling roster of iconic Marvel characters, combined with team-based gameplay featuring payloads and capture points, has clearly resonated with players. The upcoming season will expand this roster, but NetEase is first ensuring a fair and balanced playing field with this pre-emptive patch.

Duelist Adjustments:

This patch introduces nerfs to several top-performing Duelists, including Black Panther, Hawkeye, Hela, and Scarlet Witch. However, several others receive buffs, such as Black Widow, Magik, Moon Knight, Wolverine, and Winter Soldier. A particularly noteworthy change is the significant buff to Storm, previously considered underpowered. Her Bolt Rush now deals 80 damage (up from 70), and her Wind Blade projectile speed has increased to 150m/s (from 100m/s).

Vanguard and Strategist Enhancements:

Vanguards Captain America, Thor, and Venom also see improvements. Captain America and Thor receive health increases, while Venom's Feast of the Abyss ability gains a damage boost. Strategists Cloak & Dagger, Jeff the Land Shark, Luna Snow, Mantis, and Rocket Raccoon all receive various adjustments to their abilities, impacting cooldowns and healing outputs.

Team-Up Ability Refinements:

The patch also includes numerous tweaks to team-up abilities, the extra powers unlocked by specific hero combinations. These adjustments affect cooldowns and damage outputs for various team-ups, including those involving Hawkeye & Black Widow, Hela, Thor & Loki, Rocket Raccoon, The Punisher, Winter Soldier, and Thor, Storm & Captain America. Some team-up season bonuses have been reduced.

Detailed Patch Notes:

The following is a summary of the specific numerical changes implemented in the balance patch:

Duelists:

• Black Panther: Reduced Vibranium Marks health bonus.
• Black Widow: Increased Edge Dancer range, reduced Fleet Foot and Electro-Plasma Explosion recovery times.
• Hawkeye: Reduced Blast Arrow spread and Archer’s Focus range and damage.
• Hela: Reduced base health.
• Magik: Increased Umbral Incursion damage.
• Moon Knight: Increased Hand of Khonshu talon count and explosion radius.
• Namor: Improved Monstro Spawn and Frozen Spawn throwing accuracy.
• Psylocke: Dance of the Butterfly now checks for barriers.
• The Punisher: Slightly reduced Deliverance and Adjudication spread.
• Scarlet Witch: Increased Chaos Control fixed damage, reduced percentage damage, increased Chthonian Burst projectile damage.
• Storm: Increased Wind Blade speed and damage, increased Bolt Rush damage, and significantly improved Omega Hurricane bonus health.
• Squirrel Girl: Altered Unbeatable Squirrel Tsunami targeting, reduced squirrel health.
• Winter Soldier: Increased Bionic Hook and Tainted Voltage health bonus, increased Roterstern projectile damage, reduced area damage and damage decay, increased base health.
• Wolverine: Increased base health, reduced Undying Animal damage reduction.

Vanguards:

• Captain America: Reduced shield restoration delay, reduced Liberty Rush cooldown, increased base health, reduced Freedom Charge energy cost and health per second.
• Doctor Strange: Added damage falloff to Maelstrom of Madness and Gamma Maelstrom, reduced Shield of the Seraphim recovery rate.
• Thor: Increased base health, added immunity to control effects during God of Thunder.
• Hulk: Reduced Indestructible Guard shield value.
• Venom: Increased Symbiotic Resilience health ratio, increased Feast of the Abyss damage.

Strategists:

• Cloak & Dagger: Reduced Dagger Storm cooldown, increased Eternal Bond dashes.
• Jeff the Land Shark: Adjusted It’s Jeff! range, increased Joyful Splash healing.
• Luna Snow: Increased Fate of Both Worlds switching interval.
• Mantis: Reduced Nature’s Favor movement boost.
• Rocket Raccoon: Increased Repair Mode healing.

Team-Up Abilities:

• Hawkeye – Black Widow: Reduced season bonus.
• Hela – Thor – Loki: Reduced season bonus.
• Luna Snow – Namor: Increased Frozen Spawn damage and slow effect.
• Rocket Raccoon – The Punisher – Winter Soldier: Reduced Ammo Invention cooldown.
• Scarlet Witch – Magneto: Increased Metallic Fusion damage.
• Thor – Storm – Captain America: Reduced Charged Gale cooldown, increased damage.

This comprehensive balance patch sets the stage for a more refined and competitive experience in Marvel Rivals Season 1. Players are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these changes before diving into the new season.