The Marvel Rival developers are shaking up the meta ahead of Season 1 with numerous buffs and nerfs.
As Marvel Rivals Season 0 comes to an end and Season 1 debuts on Jan. 10, NetEase Games has announced all the buffs and nerfs applied to heroes.
This is the first balance patch in Marvel Rivals since the hero shooter's official release in December 2024. Everyone has been waiting for this update now that the developers had one month to look at the numbers and collect players' feedback.
That said, it comes as no surprise that Hela and Hawkeye were among the heroes hit with the nerf hammer ahead of Marvel Rivals Season 1. They had been dealing too much damage, and players clearly abused their abilities throughout Season 0.
The Hawkeye and Hela nerfs are an attempt to give other ranged heroes like Black Widow their time in the spotlight. As for buffs, Marvel Rivals chose to enhance the abilities of Storm and Wolverine, which were too much of a niche pick in Season 0.
Of course, the developers made adjustments to classes beyond Duelist, most notably buffing mobile Vanguards like Captain America and Venom so they have more sustainability.
The developers also adjusted the Strategists, mainly toning down Luna Snow's strong ultimate and buffing Cloak and Dagger's healing capability.
There are also characters who have been both buffed and nerfed such as Doctor Stranger, Jeff the Land Shark, and Winter Soldier.
These balance changes will go live after the maintenance period scheduled between Jan. 9 at 11 p.m PST and Jan. 10 at 1:10 a.m PST.
Here are all the buffs, nerfs, and team-up changes for Marvel Rivals Season 1.
Heroes buffed for Marvel Rivals Season 1
Black Widow (Duelist)
Natasha was very much in need of optimization when evaluating the release experience of her abilities as well as a slightly increase to the threat of her ultimate ability,
- Increase the range of the first effect of Edge Dancer from a 3-meter radius to a 5-meter radius.
- Reduce the time required for Fleet Foot to recover from 0 stamina to full from 12s to 4s.
- Reduce the time required for Electro-Plasma Explosion to reach maximum power from 1s to 0.6s
Captain America (Vanguard)
Steve will receive some enhanced survivability, allowing more frequent entering and exiting of the combat.
- Reduce the delay time for shield restoration after releasing Living Legend from 3s to 2s.
- Reduce Liberty Rush cooldown from 12s to 10s.
- Increase base health from 650 to 675.
- Reduce the energy cost for releasing Freedom Charge from 3,400 to 3,100. Reduce the additional health provided per second to self after releasing it from 110 to 100.
Cloak and Dagger (Strategist)
Ty and Tandy will receive an increase to their healing capability as well as an expansion to the coverage area of their ultimate ability.
- Reduce Dagger Storm cooldown from 15s to 12s.
- Increase the number of dashes in Eternal Bond from 3 to 4.
Doctor Strange (Vanguard)
The developers will be reducing the threat range and increasing the defense window of the Sorcerer Supreme.
- Add damage falloff to Maelstrom of Madness and Gamma Maelstrom. Starting at 5 meters and reducing to 70% at 8 meters.
Jeff the Land Shark (Strategist)
The game will be adjusting the range for his ultimate ability so it better fits the warning marker. In addition, the game will be increasing his healing capability.
- Increase the healing of Joyful Splash from 140/s to 150/s.
Magik (Duelist)
The Queen of Limbo needed an increase to her threat after unleashing her ultimate ability.
- Increase Umbral Incursion damage in Darkchild form from 115 to 135.
Moon Knight (Duelist)
The Hand of Khonshu will receive a slight increase to the threat of his ultimate ability.
- Increase the number of talons generated by Hand of Khonshu from 10 to 14.
- Increase the explosion radius of each talon from 4 meters to 5 meters.
Namor (Duelist)
The developers will be optimizing the throwing feel of Namor's eggs.
- Adjust the throwing feel of Monstro Spawn and Frozen Spawn so Namor can more accurately throw them to the desired location.
Rocket Raccoon (Strategist)
Rocket can use an enhancement to his healing capability.
- Increase the healing of Repair Mode from 60 per/s to 70 per/s.
Scarlet Witch (Duelist)
The developers will be increasing Wanda's combat strength when she's facing Duelists or Strategists.
- Increase Chaos Control's fixed damage from 50/s to 60/s.
- Reduce the percentage damage per second from 5% to 3%.
- Increase Chthonian Burst's projectile damage from 30 to 35.
Squirrel Girl (Duelist)
We're increasing the threat of Doreen and her furry friends in their ultimate ability.
- Addition of a new effect to the Unbeatable Squirrel Tsunami: the squirrels will rush towards the nearest enemy after bouncing instead of bouncing randomly.
- Reduce the squirrel tsunami health from 600 to 300.
Storm (Duelist)
The Weather Witch needed an overall increase to her damage capability; We're also optimizing the feel of her left-click projectile and the release experience of her ultimate ability.
- Increase Wind Blade projectile speed from 100m/s to 150m/s and left-click damage from 50 to 55.
- Increase Bolt Rush damage from 70 to 80.
- After releasing Omega Hurricane, the bonus health provided for herself will be increased from 350 to 450. Moreover, following its conclusion, the extra health will no longer vanish instantly but will instead diminish at a rate of 100 per second.
The Punisher (Duelist)
We're slightly increasing the damage capability of Frank's weapons.
- Slightly reduce the spread of Deliverance and Adjudication.
Thor (Vanguard)
The God of Thunder could use some slightly increased survivability and improved the success rate to his ultimate ability.
- Increase base health from 500 to 525.
- Added immunity to control effects during God of Thunder.
Venom (Vanguard)
With increased survivability and the threat of his ultimate ability, the symbiote menace will strike fear into the backlines of all enemy teams.
- Increase the Symbiotic Resilience bonus health ratio gained per lost health point from 1 to 1.2.
- Increase the base damage of Feast of the Abyss from 40 to 50.
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Winter Soldier (Duelist)
The game will be adjusting Bucky by decreasing his long-range combat strength and increasing his survivability in medium-close range combat.
- Increase the bonus health provided by Bionic Hook and Tainted Voltage from 30 to 40.
- Increase Roterstern's projectile damage from 70 to 75.
- Increase base health from 250 to 275.
Wolverine (Duelist)
Logan will receive an increase to basic combat strength, but a slight decrease to the additional survivability after activating Undying Animal.
- Increase base health from 300 to 350.
- Reduce the damage reduction ratio provided by Undying Animal from 50% to 40%.
Heroes nerfed for Marvel Rivals Season 1
Black Panther (Duelist)
We're slightly decreasing T'Challa's combat survivability.
- Reduce the additional health provided to self after refreshing Vibranium Marks with Spirit Rend from 40 to 30, and the upper limit of additional health provided from 120 to 75.
Doctor Strange (Vanguard)
The game will be reducing the threat range and increasing the defense window of the Sorcerer Supreme.
- Slightly decrease the shield value recovery rate after releasing Shield of the Seraphim from 80/s to 70/s.
Hawkeye (Duelist)
The game will be decreasing the medium-long range damage capability, reducing the threatening combat radius, and slightly improving the close combat resistance for the avenging archer.
- Slightly reduce the spread angle between every two Blast Arrows.
- Reduce the triggering distance of passive ability Archer's Focus from 60 meters to 40 meters. Reduce the maximum additional damage of the passive from 80 to 70.
Hela (Duelist)
The Goddess of Death has been a menace and the game will be slightly decreasing her combat strength.
- Reduce base health from 275 to 250.
Hulk (Vanguard)
Dr. Banner has been dominant, but some decreased sustained combat capability upon entering the battlefield will bring him more in line with other Vanguards.
- Reduce the Indestructible Guard gamma shield value for Hero Hulk from 250 to 200.
Jeff the Land Shark (Strategist)
The game will be adjusting the range for his ultimate ability so it now better fits the warning marker. In addition, the game will be increasing his healing capability.
- Adjust It's Jeff! range from a 10m sphere to a 10m radius, 5m high cylindrical spell field.
Luna Snow (Strategist)
While we've enjoyed her dropping the bass, we've made adjustments to Luna's ultimate ability to prevent players from abusing its healing capabilities.
- Increase the interval for switching between healing and damage in Fate of Both Worlds from 0.1s to 0.5s.
Psylocke (Duelist)
The game will be providing more options for other heroes to counter the demon slayer's ultimate.
- Now Dance of the Butterfly will check for barriers (including Magneto's Metal Bulwark, Hulk's Indestructible Guard, etc.).
Mantis (Strategist)
The game will be making Mantis a bit less fleet-footed, reducing her roaming support capability.
- Reduce Nature's Favor passive movement boost from 2.5m/s to 1.5m/s.
Winter Soldier (Duelist)
The game will be adjusting Bucky by decreasing his long-range combat strength and increasing his survivability in medium-close range combat.
- Reduce the area damage from 70 to 65 and reduce damage decay from 65% at 40 meters to 60%.
Nerfs and buffs to team-up abilities for Marvel Rivals Season 1
Hawkeye - Black Widow
To further tone down Hawkeye's oppression, the game will be reducing his seasonal buff.
- Reduce Hawkeye's season bonus from 20% to 15%.
Hela - Thor - Loki
Much like Hawkeye, Hela's overwhelming power will be receiving a slight reduction.
- Reduce Hela's season bonus from 20% to 15%.
Luna Snow - Namor
The game will be increasing the threat of Namor's Frozen Spawn.
- Increase Frozen Spawn damage from 25 to 27.
- Increase Frozen Spawn slowing effect applied to hit enemies from 25% to 30%.
- Increase berserk state Frozen Spawn damage from 16 to 18.
Rocket Raccoon - The Punisher - Winter Soldier
One of Rocket's best tools will be available more often!
- Reduce the cooldown of Ammo Invention from 45s to 40s.
Scarlet Witch - Magneto
A bit underwhelming, the damage capability of this father-daughter Team-Up ability will be enhanced.
- Increase Metallic Fusion projectile damage from 55 to 60.
- Increase Metallic Fusion spell field damage from 30 to 35.
Thor - Storm - Captain America
The game will be enhancing the damage capability of Storm's side of this Team-Up ability.
- Reduce the cooldown of Charged Gale from 20s to 15s.
- Increase the damage of Charged Gale from 50 to 55.
This should be the latest nerfs and buffs until Marvel Rivals Season 1 hits the halfway point unless the additions of Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman break the game.
That's everything you need to know about the latest Marvel Rivals buffs and nerfs. Stay tuned to esports.gg for more Marvel Rivals news.