All Marvel Rivals Season 1 Buffs & Nerfs Explained

Season 1 of Marvel Rivals will see multiple balance adjustments being made to different characters, applying buffs to some and nerfs to others. This patch is meant to keep gameplay intricate without one hero or villain becoming too strong or too weak. As new strategies and team compositions are formed, more patches may come in the future, but Season 1 is the first time changes have been applied since launch.

The buffs and nerfs being applied in Season 1 should not be confused with the seasonal shifts in power some characters receive from time to time. Seasonal buffs in Marvel Rivals give some characters boosted stats for a limited time, ranging from boosted health to extra damage. A special symbol next to someone on the character select screen indicates whether they have a seasonal buff active.

All Universal Changes Explained

Bug Fixes And New Characters

As of this time of writing, no universal changes are coming with the Season 1 Patch that affect all the characters at once. Universal adjustments would be small, such as overall increases to movement speed among Vanguard characters in Marvel Rivals. Every change in Season 1 directly impacts an individual’s unique abilities or the Team-Up skills they share with other characters.

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With the new character Mr. Fantastic and The Invisible Woman arriving at the start of Season 1. These two newcomers are likely to receive bug fixes if there are any unexpected errors in their gameplay. For example, some abilities or either character’s Ultimate skill could interact strangely with other characters in a way developers did not intend, prompting a quick correction.

All Character Buffs & Nerfs

See What Abilities Have Been Balanced

A total of 24 different characters have received some type of buff or nerf through the Season 1 balance changes. Out of the 33-character starting roster, this is an extensive list of adjustments that impacts around 70% of the characters within the game. While some heroes or villains only have one minor shift in how their abilities function, some characters have major reworks to their individual moves.

The changes made to every character serve a purpose, with some adjustments meant to strengthen or weaken aspects of someone’s design. For example, the destructive potential of a character like Hela in Marvel Rivals has been nerfed to make her less dominant in every team comp.

The tables below outline what changes each character in the game received in Season 1:

Every Vanguard Buffs & Nerfs

As you can see, the Vanguards who received buffs gained greater survivability, with stand-out characters being Captain America and Venom in this category. With some increases to their Base Health, some Vanguards are unlikely to fall fast during chaotic team fights. The Vanguards who received nerfs were Doctor Strange and Hulk, whose defensive skills were slightly tweaked to balance them closer to other characters in the archetype.

Every Duelist Buffs & Nerfs

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Many Duelists received extensive changes, with characters like Storm and Winter Soldier in Marvel Rivals receiving significant redesigns to their kit. For the most part, characters who have been dominant in many team comps have been balanced through adjusted abilities. Meanwhile, characters who were rarely seen have had their skills given new properties to give you more options when using them.

Every Strategist Buffs & Nerfs

Although there are few changes applied to Strategists, the adjustments made could be game-changing. For instance, the ridiculous range of Jeff the Land Shark’s Ultimate has been reduced, making it easier for you to escape its hard-to-predict radius. At the same time, nerfs to characters like Luna Snow and Mantis will make other Strategists more viable to use in your team combos in Marvel Rivals.

All Team-Up Ability Buffs & Nerfs

See Which Combinations Are Stronger

Some Team-Up Abilities have also been adjusted slightly along with Season 1’s other changes. While not as detailed as individual character balancing, some Team-Up enhancements can make some heroes more viable to use. This emphasis on making Team-Ups better or weaker can help influence the coordination you have with your teammates throughout different matches.

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The table below goes over the six Team-Ups that have been changed, and whether they have been adjusted to be stronger or weaker:

The increased strength in many underused Team-Ups will make rare character combinations better to use. Hopefully, the nerfs and buffs applied in Season 1 of Marvel Rivals will increase character diversity in matches, driving the game to a healthier place where more team comps can be used effectively.

Third-Person Shooter

Action

Multiplayer

Released

December 6, 2024

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer
, Online Co-Op

ESRB

T For Teen // Violence

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