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

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has announced plans to alleviate the pressure on Strategists, the game's Support class, following a community-driven Support strike that kicked off just days ago. Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has been largely successful, with new characters, maps, and modes propelling the hero shooter forward. The team has committed to faster seasons and an expanded roster of playable heroes. However, recent balance changes have shifted the power dynamics, leaving Strategists struggling against the dominance of Vanguards and Duelists.

The decline in the effectiveness of the Support class has sparked heated discussions within the Marvel Rivals community since the launch of Season 2 earlier this month. With other roles gaining more battlefield prowess, many Strategist players have faced not only challenging but also toxic matches, where teammates often criticize them in text and voice chats. The situation escalated to a community strike, with hundreds of players taking to social media to vow they would avoid playing the healer role until NetEase addressed their concerns.

"We just want basic respect," stated 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 the challenges faced by Strategists, NetEase has announced measures to ease the pressure. In a Dev Talk post on their website, the team outlined a dual approach to improve the situation: enhancing the Support role and making Competitive mode more rewarding for all players.

The upcoming patch will see an elevation in the "threat levels" of Strategists, potentially buffing characters such as Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark. Meanwhile, certain Vanguards like Captain America and Groot will receive survivability nerfs, and Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will have its damage range reduced. The exact details on which characters will be adjusted 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 explained. "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, with Duelists gaining an edge while Vanguards and Strategists lag behind. NetEase plans to revise the performance rating calculations to ensure a fairer 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 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 a new Vanguard hero, and Season 2.5 will bring Ultron into the fray. While the community awaits the impact of the upcoming balance changes, there's buzz about a potential addition of swimsuit skins, as hinted in a recent Marvel tease.