Marvel Rivals' first balance patch targets two popular duelists and Jeff's ultimate

Marvel Rivals: Season 1 Begins | Dev Vision Vol. 03 – YouTube

Keep looking

Preparations for the first season of Marvel Rivals are in full swing. We already know that the entire Fantastic 4 squad is competing in a Dracula-themed season called Eternal Night, but in a video released today, NetEase shared something arguably more significant: the details of its first-ever balancing patch.

How NetEase plans to balance its popular new shooter was an open question for the first month – the first few patches consisted entirely of store updates and bug fixes, no hero customizations. That changes in season 1.

“At the end of Season 0, our tireless analysis, along with player feedback, revealed a rich spectrum of team compositions in regular games, showing exciting diversity,” said lead combat designer Zhiyong. “However, as ranks have increased, combinations of shield and ranged heroes seem to have become our go-to meta, with ranged duelists particularly dominating their lineups.”

In fact, Overwatch 1’s “stand behind a shield and shoot the other team” strategies are alive and well in Rivals. Two particularly dominant duelists are the targets of Marvel Rivals’ first nerfs: Hawkeye and Hela. The details of the nerfs will have to wait for official patch notes, but NetEase says the idea is to “ensure all ranged heroes have a chance to shine.”

Interestingly, the other balance changes NetEase has talked about are almost entirely improvements. The “mobile” Vanguard heroes Captain America and Venom are receiving reinforcements, seemingly in line with their speed.

“In addition, we are increasing the abilities of heroes who excel in special compositions such as Wolverine and Storm to ensure that they form the foundation for unique strategies,” Zhiyong said.

I haven’t played Wolverine or Storm (or seen them in games that much), so I’m still not sure what to take away from NetEase’s vagueness. Cloak and Dagger are receiving an equally unclear buff to increase their effectiveness in “various” team comps.

Marvel Rivals Season 1 Battle Pass Skins

(Image credit: NetEase Games)

Perhaps the most personally heartbreaking nerf, though certainly the most necessary, is a nerf to Jeff the Land Shark’s team-swallowing ultimate:

“The detection range of Jeff the Land Shark’s ultimate ability will also be optimized to better align with early warning signals.”

Okay, this is at least somewhat clear: it will be easier to avoid Jeff ults in the future, so we can probably expect fewer Giga Gulp team wipes. Hopefully the change isn’t so drastic that Jeff’s most unique ability suddenly feels useless.

Some other things we learned in this video:

Mister Fantastic is a duelist, Invisible Woman is a strategist who can protect allies, Human Torch is a duelist, and The Thing is a vanguard
The Thing and Human Torch will appear later in a mid-season update
There are three new maps in Season 1, including an Escort map
The Season 1 Battle Pass costs 990 Lattice and is twice the size of the Season 0 Pass
NetEase will have a webpage listing the official pick/win rates of heroes in each mode, updated every half season

NetEase concluded the video by setting some key expectations for future seasons. Don’t expect four new heroes every three months – apparently this is a special “double-sized” season for Fantastic 4, and the usual rhythm will eventually settle down to two heroes per season (which still sounds like a lot). Season 1 begins on January 10th and will last three months.

Marvel Rivals’ first balance patch targets two popular duelists and Jeff’s ultimate

ByAmelia Journalton

By Amelia Journalton

Related Post

Missing Ashley Elkins: Police believe “foul play” in her ex-boyfriend’s apartment is possible

Johnson & Johnson Pauses Use of FDA-Approved PFA System to Investigate Patient Complications

‘High probability of foul play’ in case of Warren’s missing mother

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You missed

Missing Ashley Elkins: Police believe “foul play” in her ex-boyfriend’s apartment is possible

Johnson & Johnson Pauses Use of FDA-Approved PFA System to Investigate Patient Complications

‘High probability of foul play’ in case of Warren’s missing mother

Creature Commandos ending explained: Who dies in the James Gunn DC series? Will there be a season 2?