"Marvel Rivals Dev Plans Buffs for Strategist Experience After Support Strike"

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has responded swiftly to community concerns just days after fans initiated a widespread Support strike. Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has been largely successful with the introduction of new characters, maps, and game modes, promising even faster content updates and an expanded roster of heroes. However, recent balance changes have shifted the power dynamics, leaving the Strategist class—primarily the Support role—struggling against the more potent Vanguards and Duelists.

Since the launch of Season 2, the decreased effectiveness of the Support class has sparked heated discussions within the Marvel Rivals community. Players in the Strategist role have faced not only challenging but also toxic gameplay experiences, with teammates frequently using text and voice chats to blame them for losses. The frustration reached a peak this week, prompting hundreds of players to take to social media and announce their boycott of 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 Support strike and the general shift away from the challenging Strategist class, NetEase has outlined plans to alleviate some of the pressure on these players. Through a Dev Talk post on their website, the developer detailed a dual approach: enhancing the Support role and adjusting the rewards in Competitive mode.

NetEase plans to elevate the "threat levels" of Strategists in an upcoming patch. This could involve boosting heroes like Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark, while nerfing the survivability of Vanguards such as Captain America and Groot. Additionally, Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will see a reduced damage range. Although specific details on which characters will be affected remain undisclosed, NetEase aims to make cautious, minimal changes to refine the gameplay experience without significantly altering the meta.

“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 adjustments since Season 2 began, with Duelists gaining an edge in performance ratings, while Vanguards and Strategists lag behind. NetEase intends to tweak the performance rating calculations to promote fairness among 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 adds. “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 newest playable Vanguard hero, with Season 2.5 set to bring Ultron into the mix. As the community awaits the impact of the forthcoming balance changes, especially those aimed at pleasing the Support strike participants, players can look forward to potential new content, including a teased collection of swimsuit skins that could be added to the game.