Dev Plans to Enhance Strategist Experience After Marvel Rivals Support Strike

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has announced plans to ease the burden on Strategist players following a community-wide Support strike launched just days ago. While Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has brought exciting new characters, maps, and modes, the balance changes have shifted power dynamics, leaving the Strategist class – primarily the game's Support pool – feeling underpowered compared to 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 influence on the battlefield, many Strategist players have reported not only difficult matches but also toxic interactions, with teammates often blaming them via 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 and improved the gameplay experience.

"We just want basic respect," one Reddit user commented. "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 two-pronged approach in a Dev Talk post on its website. The plan includes enhancing the Support role and making the Competitive mode more rewarding. An upcoming patch will see an increase in "threat levels" for Strategists, potentially boosting heroes like Invisible Woman and Jeff the Land Shark, while nerfing the survivability of Vanguards such as Captain America and Groot. Additionally, Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will have its damage range reduced. Specific details on the affected characters will be revealed soon.

"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."

Meanwhile, the Competitive mode in Marvel Rivals has seen some alterations in performance ratings since Season 2's launch. Duelists have enjoyed an advantage, while Vanguards and Strategists have been at a slight disadvantage. To address this, NetEase 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!"

Marvel Rivals Season 2 introduced Emma Frost as its newest playable Vanguard hero, with Season 2.5 set to include Ultron in the near future. While we wait to see if the upcoming balance changes will satisfy those participating in the Support strike, you can read up on a recent Marvel tease that could see a collection of swimsuit skins joining the game.