"Marvel Rivals Dev Announces Buffs to Strategist Experience After Support Player Strike"

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has responded swiftly to the community's concerns just days after fans initiated a widespread Support strike. Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has been largely successful, introducing new characters, maps, and modes, and promising faster seasons with an expanded roster of playable heroes. However, recent balance changes have shifted the power dynamics, particularly affecting the Strategist class, which serves as the game's Support pool. Players of this class have found themselves at a disadvantage as Vanguards and Duelists have gained more power on the battlefield.

The community has been vocal about the decreased viability of the Support class since the launch of Season 2. Many Strategist players have reported not only challenging but also toxic gameplay experiences, with teammates often blaming them in text and voice chats. The situation escalated this past week when hundreds of players took to social media to announce a strike, refusing to play 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.

NetEase plans to elevate the "threat levels" of Strategists in an upcoming patch. This could involve buffing heroes like Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark, while nerfing the survivability of Vanguards such as Captain America and Groot. Additionally, Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will see a reduction in damage range. The exact details of 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 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 altered stats since Season 2 began, Duelists have enjoyed an advantage in performance ratings, while Vanguards and Strategists have been at a 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 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 upcoming balance changes, there's also excitement about a recent Marvel tease that could see a collection of swimsuit skins joining the game.