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

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has responded swiftly to the community's concerns just days after fans initiated a widespread Support strike. Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has seen a surge of excitement with the introduction of new characters, maps, and modes, pushing the hero shooter into a promising new era. However, the balance adjustments made in this season have caused significant issues, particularly for the Strategist class, which primarily serves as the game's Support pool. Players of this class have found themselves overpowered by Vanguards and Duelists, leading to a less enjoyable gaming experience.

Since the launch of Season 2, the diminished effectiveness of the Support class has sparked intense discussions within the Marvel Rivals community. With other roles gaining more battlefield dominance, Strategist players have faced not only challenging but also toxic gameplay, with teammates often blaming them in text and voice chats. The situation escalated this week when hundreds of players took to social media to announce a strike, refusing to play the healer role until NetEase addressed their concerns and improved the gameplay experience.

"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 the ongoing challenges faced by Strategist players, NetEase has outlined a plan to alleviate the pressure. In a Dev Talk post on their website, the developer detailed a two-pronged approach to enhance the Support role and make the Competitive mode more rewarding. They plan to increase the "threat levels" of Strategists in an upcoming patch, which may involve buffing 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 reduction in 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 experienced slight alterations in performance stats since Season 2 began. Duelists have enjoyed a performance advantage, while Vanguards and Strategists have been at a disadvantage. To address this, NetEase plans to adjust the performance rating calculations to ensure fairness 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 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 newest playable Vanguard hero, with Season 2.5 set to feature Ultron in the near future. As the community awaits the upcoming balance changes, there's also excitement about a recent Marvel tease that could see a collection of swimsuit skins joining the game.