Dev Plans to Enhance Strategist Experience After Marvel Rivals Support Strike

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has responded swiftly to address the concerns of Strategist players just days after a community-wide Support strike was initiated. The launch of Season 2 brought new characters, maps, and modes to the hero shooter, enhancing the game's appeal with promises of faster seasons and more playable heroes. However, the balance changes introduced have shifted power dynamics, particularly impacting the Strategist class, which serves as the game's Support pool. This shift has led to a challenging and often toxic environment for Strategists, as Vanguards and Duelists have gained the upper hand.

Since the launch of Season 2 earlier this month, the Marvel Rivals community has been vocal about the decreased viability of the Support class. With other roles gaining more battlefield power, many Strategist players have reported not only losing matches but also facing toxicity from teammates who often blame them via text and voice chats. The situation escalated this week when hundreds of players took to social media, announcing they would avoid the healer role until NetEase outlined plans to improve the gameplay experience for Strategists.

"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 some of the pressure. In a Dev Talk post on their website, the developer detailed a two-pronged approach: enhancing the Support role and making Competitive mode more rewarding.

NetEase plans to elevate the "threat levels" of Strategists in an upcoming patch. This could 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 seen slight alterations in performance stats since Season 2 began. Duelists have enjoyed an advantage in performance ratings, while Vanguards and Strategists have been at a disadvantage. To address this, NetEase intends 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 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.