You'll soon be hearing "us against the world" much less often

February 18, 2025 | 06:28am

Marvel Rivals Season 1 Balance Changes Take Aim At Triple Support Meta

You'll soon be hearing "us against the world" much less often

That's now about to change. While NetEase said it's happy that there are more viable options aside from a classic two-tank, two-DPS, and two-support lineup, the current three-strategist meta has led to some "oppressive moments." As a result, ultimate energy costs are going up for the game's most powerful support ultimates, which will translate to them being used less often. There will also be some targeted nerfs to characters like Cloak & Dagger, currently the most-picked hero in the game.

"A triple strategist setup often means at least one ultimate counters a Vanguard or Duelist's ultimate, which may slow down the game's pace," lead combat designer Zhiyong said in the Dev Vision video. "We want every match to feel exhilarating, not drawn out."

However, Zhiyong said it doesn't want to completely get rid of the triple-support strategy.

"We're not looking to completely shatter that three-strategist playstyle," he said. "We're just looking to bring in more options for fun counterplays and amp up the excitement.

Other balance changes include some nerfs to the game's two most popular Vanguard characters, Venom and Magneto, as well as nerfs to two of Marvel Rivals' most popular Duelists, Storm and Moon Knight (whose ultimate has been wreaking havoc in the first half of the season).

The balance changes will come alongside a use for unused battle-pass currency and new rewards for Marvel Rivals' competitive mode. NetEase originally planned a rank reset as part of the update, but quickly walked back that idea after player outcry. Marvel Rivals' mid-Season 1 update, which will additionally add The Thing and Human Torch as new playable heroes, releases February 21.

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