Marvel Rivals developer NetEase Games has announced plans to address player concerns about the Strategist class, following a recent community-wide Support strike.
Season 2 of Marvel Rivals has been largely well-received, introducing new heroes, maps, and modes that keep the hero shooter evolving. The development team has committed to faster seasonal updates and additional playable characters. However, recent balance adjustments have created new challenges, particularly for Strategists—the game's primary Support role. Many players feel this class has become less enjoyable as Vanguards and Duelists have grown more dominant.
Since the start of Season 2, the reduced effectiveness of the Support class has been a major topic within the Marvel Rivals community. With other roles gaining more influence in matches, many Strategist players have reported not only difficult games but also increased toxicity. Teammates often use text and voice chat to blame Support players for losses. Tensions escalated recently when hundreds of players took to social media, declaring they would avoid the healer role until NetEase addressed these concerns and improved the overall experience.
"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.”
Addressing Player Feedback
Whether due to the strike or a natural shift away from a challenging role, NetEase is taking steps to respond. In a Dev Talk post published on its website, the studio addressed concerns about the Strategist class. The planned improvements are twofold: enhancing the Support role's capabilities and making Competitive mode more rewarding.
The development team stated that Strategist “threat levels” will be increased in an upcoming patch. This could involve buffing heroes such as Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark, while reducing the survivability of Vanguards like Captain America and Groot. Additionally, Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will see a reduction in damage range. Specific details on which characters will be adjusted have not yet been shared.
“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.”
Competitive mode has also seen stat adjustments since Season 2 began. Duelists have generally had an advantage in performance ratings, while Vanguards and Strategists have been at a slight disadvantage. To address this, NetEase will 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 players await these balance changes to see if they address the Support strike concerns, recent Marvel teases suggest a collection of swimsuit skins may be coming to the game.
