Marvel Rivals Dev Reveals Plans to Enhance Strategist Experience Post-Support Player Strike

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has announced its strategy to alleviate some of the pressure on Strategists, just days after a community-wide Support strike was initiated by fans. Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has been largely successful, introducing new characters, maps, and modes, which have propelled the hero shooter forward. However, recent balance changes have shifted the power dynamics, particularly impacting the Strategists, who serve as the game's Support class, making their gameplay less enjoyable compared to Vanguards and Duelists.

Since the launch of Season 2, the decreased effectiveness of the Support class has sparked significant discussions within the Marvel Rivals community. With other roles gaining more battlefield influence, many Strategist players have experienced not only challenging but also toxic matches, often being blamed by teammates in chat for losses. This frustration culminated in a strike last week, where hundreds of players declared their refusal to play the healer role until NetEase addressed their concerns.

"We just want basic respect," expressed one Reddit user. "We're not asking to be glorified or seen as the 'hardest' role - because I don't think we are. 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 strike and players potentially avoiding the challenging class, NetEase has outlined its plans to improve the situation. In a Dev Talk post on its website, the company detailed a two-pronged approach to ease the pressure on Strategists. This includes enhancing the Support role and making Competitive mode more rewarding.

An upcoming patch will see an increase in "threat levels" for Strategists, potentially buffing characters like Invisible Woman and Jeff the Land Shark. Conversely, Vanguards such as Captain America and Groot will face nerfs to their survivability, while Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will see a reduced damage range. Specific details on which characters will be affected are yet to be disclosed.

"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."

Meanwhile, the Competitive mode in Marvel Rivals has seen altered stats since Season 2 began, with Duelists enjoying an advantage in performance ratings while Vanguards and Strategists lag slightly behind. NetEase plans to tweak performance rating calculations to ensure fairness across all hero classes.

"Balancing the game and rank adjustments is a challenging endeavor, and we can't guarantee perfection 100% of the time," the Dev Talk post added. "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 its latest playable Vanguard hero, with Season 2.5 set to feature Ultron in the near future. As the community awaits the impact of the upcoming balance changes, you can also look forward to a potential addition of a collection of swimsuit skins to the game, as hinted in a recent Marvel tease.