"Marvel Rivals" has been a massive hit since its launch in Dec. 2024, bringing fast-paced 6v6 action with some of the most iconic heroes and villains from the Marvel universe. With players grinding ranked matches and experimenting with different team combinations, the game continues to evolve.
As we near Season 1's midpoint, dataminers teased what the leaked patch notes feature for the next update.
Mid-Season 1 Update: New Heroes and Balance Changes
"Marvel Rivals" mid-season update is set to drop on Feb. 21, introducing two new playable heroes: The Thing and Human Torch, according to IGN. These "Fantastic Four" members will scramble the meta, bringing unique abilities and gameplay mechanics.
Alongside these additions, several existing heroes will undergo balance changes to provide a fair and competitive experience.
Leaked Patch Notes Reveal Major Adjustments
As spotted by GameRant via a leak from X0X_LEAK, a well-known X (formerly Twitter) account for "Marvel Rivals" insights, the upcoming update will include a range of buffs, nerfs, and gameplay tweaks.
While these leaks should be taken with a grain of salt, they offer an early look at what to expect.
Vanguard Class Adjustments
Venom
- Frenzied Arrival: Knockback angle changed from vertical to inward at 75°
- Ultimate Cost: Reduced from 2800 to 2500
Captain America
- Absolute Will: Can now be used defensively while jumping
- Vibranium Energy Saw: Projectile speed increased from 60m/s to 80m/s; ejection speed after impact increased from 100m/s to 150m/s
Thor
- Rune Awakening: Cooldown removed after skill duration ends
Groot
- Groot Walls: Placement range increased from 15m to 18m
Magneto
- Primary Attack: Damage increased from 35 to 40
- Curtain Ability: Energy cost increased from 50 to 65; duration reduced from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds
Doctor Strange
- Base HP: Reduced from 650 to 600
Duelist Class Adjustments
Iron Fist
- Base HP: Increased from 250 to 300
- Jeet Kune Do: Damage reduced across multiple attacks
- Sun Punch: Damage reduced from 19 to 10
- Harmony Recovery: Bonus HP increased from 50 to 150, with HP decay at 25/s
- Dragon's Defense: Block conversion increased from 150 to 200
Mr. Fantastic
- Flexible Elongation: Spell field range increased from 2.5m to 5m; now knocks enemies outward
- Brainiac Bounce: Damage increased from 50 to 70; energy cost increased from 2800 to 3400
Iron Man
- Unibeam: Damage increased from 120/s to 140/s; Armor Overdrive Unibeam damage increased from 180/s to 190/s
Hawkeye
- Base HP: Increased from 250 to 275
- Explosive Arrows: Damage decreased from 20 to 15, but spell field damage increased from 25 to 32
- Crescent Slash: Cooldown reduced from 15s to 12s
Storm
- Wind Blade Damage: Reduced from 70% to 60% at 30m
- Aura Buffs: Self-boost reduced from 16% to 12%, team boost increased from 8% to 10%
Star-Lord
- Ultimate Cost: Increased from 1200 to 1800
Scarlet Witch
- Ultimate Ability: Grants 100 bonus HP on cast, which decays at 50/s after ending or being interrupted
Other Key Adjustments
- Spider-Man: Web-Shooters recharge time reduced from 3s to 2.5s
- Moon Knight: Khonshu's Fist speed reduced; each fist now deals 150 damage instead of 75
- Black Widow: Rifle capacity increased from 8 to 15; ultimate slow effect reduced from 80% to 55%
- Magik: Eldritch Whirl damage reduced from 45 to 40; Demon's Rage damage reduced from 80/s to 72/s
- Hela: Soul Drainer damage falloff adjusted (unconfirmed changes)
How This Update Affects the Meta
The upcoming patch will significantly impact the game's meta, as damage adjustments, cooldown changes, and new hero additions will force players to rethink strategies.
The Thing and Human Torch will likely introduce a new combo to team compositions, and the adjustments to high-impact heroes like Venom, Doctor Strange, and Scarlet Witch could shift power balances across all ranks.
Official Patch Notes Coming Soon
While leaks provide an early glimpse, it's crucial to wait for official confirmation from NetEase before making final judgments. The developers may tweak these changes based on internal testing or community feedback.
NetEase assures fans that they're not trolling dataminers. Rather than simply doing a simple update, they would rather spend a long time to further develop the game.
As for its context, some dataminers previously said that the "Marvel Rivals" developer only planted fake heroes in the game files to deceive the tipsters.
