After Marvel Rivals Support Players Went on Strike, Dev Lays Out Plans to Buff Strategist Experience

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has announced measures to address the concerns of Strategist players following a community-wide Support strike initiated by fans just days ago. Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has been largely successful, introducing new characters, maps, and modes, alongside promises of shorter seasons and an expanded roster of playable heroes. However, recent balance changes have shifted the dynamics on the battlefield, leaving the Strategist class, which primarily serves as the Support role, feeling overpowered by Vanguards and Duelists.

Since the launch of Season 2, the Marvel Rivals community has been vocal about the diminished effectiveness of the Support class. With other roles gaining more battlefield influence, Strategist players have faced not only challenging but also toxic gameplay experiences, with teammates often blaming them in text and voice chats. The situation escalated this week, prompting hundreds of players to take to social media, vowing to avoid 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 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 for all players.

NetEase plans to increase the "threat levels" of Strategists in an upcoming patch, which may involve buffing characters like Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark. Conversely, Vanguards such as Captain America and Groot will see nerfs to their survivability, and Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will have its damage range reduced. The exact details of these changes 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."

In addition, the Competitive mode in Marvel Rivals has seen adjustments to performance ratings since Season 2 began. Duelists have enjoyed an advantage, while Vanguards and Strategists have been at a slight disadvantage. To address this, NetEase intends to modify 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 include Ultron in the near future. As the community awaits the impact of the upcoming balance changes on the Support strike, fans can look forward to a potential addition of swimsuit skins to the game, as hinted in a recent Marvel tease.