Marvel Rivals Enhances Gameplay with Season 1 Balance Updates

Marvel Rivals Receives Pre-Season 1 Balance Patch with Significant Character Adjustments

NetEase has deployed a substantial balance patch for Marvel Rivals, impacting numerous characters ahead of Season 1's January 10th launch. The update features buffs, nerfs, and refinements across all hero categories, promising a refreshed meta for players. This comes as Marvel Rivals, a popular hero-shooter released late 2024, prepares for its major Season 1 expansion centered around the Fantastic Four.

The patch extensively revises hero abilities, impacting Duelists, Vanguards, and Strategists. Notable changes include:

Duelists:

• Buffs: Significant improvements to Storm's abilities (increased Bolt Rush damage and Wind Blade speed), along with buffs to Black Widow, Magik, Moon Knight, Wolverine, and Winter Soldier.
• Nerfs: Minor adjustments to Black Panther, Hawkeye, Hela, and Scarlet Witch.

Vanguards:

• Buffs: Health increases for Captain America and Thor, and enhanced Feast of the Abyss damage for Venom.

Strategists:

• Changes: Various tweaks to Cloak & Dagger, Jeff the Land Shark, Luna Snow, Mantis, and Rocket Raccoon, primarily focusing on cooldown reductions and increased healing.

Team-Up Abilities:

The patch also addresses team-up abilities, adjusting both passive effects and active bonuses. Several team-up combinations see cooldown reductions or modified damage outputs. Specifically, Hawkeye/Black Widow and Hela/Thor/Loki team-up bonuses have been reduced.

Detailed Patch Notes:

The complete patch notes are extensive and detail specific numerical changes to individual abilities and stats for each character. Key adjustments include:

• Black Panther: Reduced health regeneration from Vibranium Marks.
• Black Widow: Increased Edge Dancer range and reduced Fleet Foot cooldown.
• Hawkeye: Reduced Blast Arrow spread and Archer's Focus range/damage.
• Hela: Reduced base health.
• Magik: Increased Umbral Incursion damage.
• Moon Knight: Increased Hand of Khonshu talon count and explosion radius.
• Namor: Improved Monstro/Frozen Spawn throwing accuracy.
• Psylocke: Dance of the Butterfly now accounts for barriers.
• The Punisher: Reduced Deliverance and Adjudication spread.
• Scarlet Witch: Adjusted Chaos Control and Chthonian Burst damage.
• Storm: Substantial buffs to Wind Blade, Bolt Rush, and Omega Hurricane.
• Squirrel Girl: Altered Unbeatable Squirrel Tsunami targeting and reduced squirrel health.
• Winter Soldier: Increased health and damage, with minor adjustments to area damage.
• Wolverine: Increased health, reduced Undying Animal damage reduction.
• Captain America: Reduced shield restoration delay, Liberty Rush cooldown, and Freedom Charge energy cost.
• Doctor Strange: Added damage falloff to Maelstrom of Madness.
• Thor: Increased health and added immunity to control effects during God of Thunder.
• Hulk: Reduced Indestructible Guard shield value.
• Venom: Increased Symbiotic Resilience and Feast of the Abyss damage.
• Cloak & Dagger: Reduced Dagger Storm cooldown and increased Eternal Bond dashes.
• Jeff the Land Shark: Adjusted It’s Jeff! range and increased Joyful Splash healing.
• Luna Snow: Adjusted Fate of Both Worlds switching interval.
• Mantis: Reduced Nature's Favor movement boost.
• Rocket Raccoon: Increased Repair Mode healing.

This comprehensive balance patch promises to significantly alter the gameplay dynamics of Marvel Rivals, creating anticipation for the upcoming Season 1 content.