Marvel Rivals Dev Reveals Plans to Enhance Strategist Experience After Support Players' Strike

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has swiftly responded to the community's concerns just days after fans initiated a widespread Support strike aimed at highlighting the struggles of Strategists players. Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has been largely successful, introducing new characters, maps, and modes, with promises of faster seasons and more heroes to come. However, the balance changes have shifted the game's dynamics, leaving the Strategists—primarily the Support class—feeling overpowered by Vanguards and Duelists.

Which Marvel Rivals class do you use the most? ----------------------------------------------

VanguardDuelistStrategist

AnswerSee ResultsThe dissatisfaction among the Support class players has been a hot topic since the launch of Season 2. With the increased power of other roles, Strategists have faced not only challenging but also toxic gameplay experiences. Frustrated players have taken to social media to express their discontent and have vowed to avoid playing the healer role until NetEase addresses their concerns.

"We just want basic respect."
"We’re not asking to be glorified or seen as the ‘hardest’ role - because I don’t think we are," shared one Reddit user. "We just want basic respect. It’s tiring to be called brain dead or worthless when your stats are solid and you’re playing your role the way it’s meant to be played."

I Need Healing

In response to the community's outcry, NetEase has taken decisive action. Through a Dev Talk post on their website, they outlined a dual approach to alleviate the pressure on Strategists. The plan includes enhancing the Support role and making Competitive mode more rewarding.

NetEase plans to increase the "threat levels" of Strategists in an upcoming patch, potentially buffing heroes like Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark. Concurrently, they will nerf the survivability of Vanguards such as Captain America and Groot, and reduce the damage range of Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability. While specific details on the affected characters remain undisclosed, the focus is on making minimal changes to maintain the game's meta.

"Since this is a mid-season balance adjustment, we aim to be cautious, keeping changes minimal to enhance the experience of certain heroes without drastically altering the overall meta," NetEase stated. "As we move into S2.5, with Ultron's arrival and new Team-Up Ability adjustments, we'll consider broader, more comprehensive balance changes."

Competitive mode in Marvel Rivals has also seen shifts in performance ratings since Season 2 began. Duelists have had an edge, while Vanguards and Strategists have been at a slight disadvantage. To address this, NetEase intends to adjust the performance rating calculations to ensure a fair playing field across all heroes.

"Balancing the game and rank adjustments is a challenging endeavor, and we can't guarantee perfection 100% of the time," the Dev Talk post concluded. "However, we remain humble and attentive, striving to address issues promptly and enhance your experience. Stay tuned for official patch announcements for more updates. Thank you for your support and patience!"

Season 2 of Marvel Rivals introduced Emma Frost as a new playable Vanguard hero, and Season 2.5 will soon feature Ultron. While the community awaits the impact of the upcoming balance changes, keep an eye out for potential new content, such as the rumored swimsuit skins teased by Marvel.