Marvel Rivals Dev Plans to Enhance Strategist Experience After Support Strike

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has responded swiftly to the community's concerns just days after a widespread Support strike was initiated by fans. The strike was a response to the frustrations felt by players of the Strategist class, which serves as the game's primary Support role, in the wake of Season 2's balance changes.

Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has been largely successful, introducing new characters, maps, and modes to the hero shooter. The game's development team has committed to shorter seasons and an expanded roster of playable heroes. However, the balance adjustments made in Season 2 have shifted the power dynamics, leaving Strategists at a disadvantage compared to Vanguards and Duelists.

The community has been vocal about the diminished effectiveness of the Support class since the start of Season 2. Players have reported not only an increase in difficult matches but also a rise in toxic behavior, with teammates often blaming Strategists in chat for losses. The situation escalated to the point where hundreds of players took to social media to announce a boycott of the healer role, demanding improvements from NetEase.

A Reddit user expressed the sentiment of many Strategists, saying, "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 community's feedback, NetEase has outlined its plans in a Dev Talk post on their website. The developer aims to alleviate the pressure on Strategists through a two-pronged approach: enhancing the Support role and making the Competitive mode more rewarding for all players.

NetEase plans to increase the "threat levels" of Strategists in an upcoming patch. This could involve buffs to heroes such as Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark, and nerfs to the survivability of Vanguards like Captain America and Groot. Additionally, Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will see a reduction in its damage range. The specifics of these adjustments 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."

Competitive mode in Marvel Rivals has also seen changes in Season 2, with Duelists gaining an edge in performance ratings. NetEase intends to recalibrate the performance rating calculations to ensure fairness across all classes, including Vanguards and Strategists.

"Balancing the game and rank adjustments is a challenging endeavor, and we can't guarantee perfection 100% of the time," the Dev Talk post continued. "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 introduced Emma Frost as a new Vanguard hero, and Season 2.5 will bring Ultron to the roster. As the community awaits the impact of these upcoming balance changes, fans can look forward to potential new content, such as a collection of swimsuit skins teased by Marvel.