The developers of *Marvel Rivals*, NetEase Games, have announced plans to ease the growing frustrations among Strategist players just days after a community-wide Support strike erupted across social platforms. This move comes in response to widespread dissatisfaction from players who feel their role has become overly punishing and underappreciated since the launch of Season 2.
Overall, Marvel Rivals Season 2 has been well-received by the player base. The introduction of new characters, maps, and gameplay modes has kept the momentum strong as the development team promises faster season rollouts and more playable heroes on the horizon. However, recent balance changes have unintentionally shifted the battlefield advantage toward Vanguards and Duelists, leaving many Strategists struggling to keep up and enjoy the game.
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Since the start of Season 2, the declining effectiveness of the Strategist class has become a hot topic within the *Marvel Rivals* community. With other roles gaining more power, many Support players have reported increasingly frustrating and even toxic experiences. Teammates often resort to blaming Strategists in chat, regardless of their actual performance. The situation escalated recently when hundreds of players took to social media to announce they would avoid playing Support until NetEase provided clarity on how it intends to improve the experience for this crucial role.
“We’re not asking to be glorified or seen as the ‘hardest’ role — because I don’t think we are,” said one Reddit user. “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 influenced developer decisions or players simply avoided the role out of frustration, NetEase has acknowledged the issue and pledged to take action. In a Dev Talk post published today, the studio addressed concerns around the Strategist class head-on. Their plan involves a dual approach: strengthening the Support role while also making Competitive mode more balanced and rewarding.
According to NetEase, an upcoming patch will increase the threat level of Strategists. This could mean buffs for heroes like Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark, while simultaneously nerfing Vanguard heroes such as Captain America and Groot. Spider-Man’s Amazing Combo ability is also set for a reduction in damage range. Specific details about which characters will be affected are still under wraps.
“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 has seen altered stat distributions since the start of Season 2, giving Duelists a distinct edge in performance ratings. Vanguard and Strategist players have found themselves at a disadvantage as a result. To address this, NetEase plans to recalibrate performance rating calculations to ensure fairer outcomes across all hero classes.
“Balancing the game and rank adjustments is a challenging endeavor, and we can't guarantee perfection 100% of the time,” the Dev Talk post continues. “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* brought Emma Frost into the roster as the latest Vanguard hero, and Season 2.5 is expected to introduce Ultron soon. As players await the results of these upcoming changes, there's also buzz about a potential wave of swimsuit-themed skins teased by Marvel, which could soon make their way into the game.
