Marvel Rivals Dev Plans to Enhance Strategist Experience After Support Strike

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has responded to the community's concerns just days after fans initiated a widespread Support strike. The strike came in response to the challenges faced by Strategists, the game's Support class, following the launch of Season 2.

Season 2 of Marvel Rivals introduced a wave of exciting new content, including characters, maps, and modes, propelling the hero shooter into a new phase with promises of shorter seasons and an expanded roster of playable heroes. However, the balance changes implemented in this season have shifted the power dynamics, leaving Strategists struggling to keep up with the enhanced capabilities of Vanguards and Duelists.

The diminished effectiveness of the Support class has sparked intense discussions within the Marvel Rivals community since the early days of Season 2. With other classes gaining more influence on the battlefield, many Strategist players have endured not just difficult but also toxic gameplay experiences. Frustrated teammates have taken to text and voice chats to unfairly blame Strategists for losses, leading to a community-wide movement where hundreds of players declared a strike against playing 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 strike and the broader discontent among Strategist players, NetEase has outlined a plan to alleviate the pressure. In a Dev Talk post on their website, the developer announced a two-pronged approach aimed at enhancing the Support role and making the Competitive mode more rewarding.

NetEase plans to elevate the "threat levels" of Strategists in an upcoming patch, potentially buffing heroes like Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark. Conversely, Vanguards such as Captain America and Groot may see their survivability nerfed, while Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will experience a reduction in damage range. Although specific details on which characters will be affected remain undisclosed, NetEase emphasized a cautious approach to these mid-season adjustments.

"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."

In Competitive mode, which has seen slight statistical shifts 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 the latest playable Vanguard hero, with Season 2.5 set to bring Ultron into the mix. As the community awaits the impact of the upcoming balance changes, especially those participating in the Support strike, there's also buzz about a potential addition of swimsuit skins to the game, teased recently by Marvel.