"Marvel Rivals Dev Plans to Enhance Strategist Experience After Support Player Strike"

Marvel Rivals developer NetEase Games has recently outlined its strategy to alleviate the mounting pressure on Strategists, just days after the community initiated a widespread Support strike.

Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has been largely successful, introducing new characters, maps, and modes, propelling the hero shooter forward with promises of shorter seasons and an expanding roster of playable heroes. However, recent balance changes have shifted the dynamics, putting Strategists—the game's Support class—in a challenging position as Vanguards and Duelists have surged in power.

Which Marvel Rivals class do you use the most? ----------------------------------------------

VanguardDuelistStrategist

AnswerSee ResultsThe diminished effectiveness of the Support class has sparked intense discussions within the Marvel Rivals community since the launch of Season 2. With other classes gaining battlefield dominance, many Strategist players have experienced not only frustratingly difficult matches but also toxic interactions, with teammates frequently criticizing them in text and voice chats. This tension escalated last week when hundreds of players took to social media, pledging to avoid the healer role until NetEase addressed how it would improve the gameplay experience for Strategists.

"We just want basic respect.""We're not asking to be glorified or seen as the 'hardest' role - because I don't think we are," one Reddit user commented. "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

Whether the strike has swayed player choices or if they are simply avoiding a challenging class, NetEase is committed to taking action. In a Dev Talk post released today on its website, NetEase addressed the concerns surrounding the Strategist class. Their strategy to ease the pressure involves a dual approach: enhancing the Support role and making the Competitive mode more rewarding for all players.

The team plans to elevate the "threat levels" of Strategists in an upcoming patch. This could mean buffs for heroes like Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark, alongside nerfs to the survivability of Vanguards such as Captain America and Groot, and a reduction in the damage range of Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability. Specific details about 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 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, Competitive mode in Marvel Rivals has seen slight modifications in performance stats since Season 2 began. Duelists have enjoyed a performance rating advantage, while Vanguards and Strategists have faced a slight 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 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 feature Ultron soon. As we await the impact of these upcoming balance changes on the Support strike, you can learn more about a recent Marvel tease that could see a collection of swimsuit skins joining the game.