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

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has announced plans to address the challenges faced by Strategists players just days after the community initiated a widespread Support strike. Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has been largely successful with new characters, maps, and modes, propelling the game forward. However, recent balance changes have shifted power dynamics, leaving the Strategists, who primarily serve as the game's Support class, struggling against more dominant Vanguards and Duelists.

Since the launch of Season 2, the Marvel Rivals community has been vocal about the decreased effectiveness of the Support class. With other roles gaining more battlefield power, Strategist players have faced not only challenging matches but also toxic interactions, with teammates often blaming them in text and voice chats. This frustration culminated in a community-wide strike, with players refusing to take up the healer role until NetEase provided a solution.

"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, NetEase has committed to action. In a Dev Talk post on their website, the developers outlined a two-pronged approach to ease the burden on Strategists. This involves enhancing the Support role and making the Competitive mode more rewarding.

An upcoming patch will elevate the "threat levels" of Strategists. This could include buffs to characters like Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark, and nerfs to Vanguards such as Captain America and Groot to reduce their survivability. Additionally, Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will see a reduced 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 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."

In Competitive mode, NetEase has noted that Duelists have an advantage in performance ratings, while Vanguards and Strategists are at a disadvantage. The team plans to adjust 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 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 feature Ultron. As the community waits to see if these upcoming balance changes will satisfy those involved in the Support strike, you can stay updated with a recent Marvel tease that could see a collection of swimsuit skins joining the game.