NetEase Games revamped Marvel Rivals' hero balance in January, kicking off Season 1 with significant buffs to underplayed characters like Storm and Black Widow. These changes have dramatically impacted gameplay.
Storm's popularity and effectiveness soared. Rivals Meta now ranks her number one in win rate, a massive leap from her previous obscurity. In competitive play, her win percentage surpasses 56%, and her pick rate jumped to 16%, a stark contrast to her near-zero presence before the update. She's now outperforming established favorites like Adam Warlock, Jeff, Spider-Man, Hela, Hulk, Magik, and Iron Man.
While Storm ascended, the top character pairing remains Cloak and Dagger, though their win rate dipped below 49%. Black Widow, however, continues to struggle, remaining the least popular and least successful hero.
Marvel Rivals is thriving, boasting hundreds of thousands of players in its competitive mode. The Grandmaster title, achieved by only 0.1% of players, remains an exclusive accomplishment, despite the existence of the Celestial rank.
One player achieved a remarkable feat during Season 1: reaching Grandmaster without suffering any damage across 108 games! This player, using Rocket Raccoon, focused solely on healing teammates, restoring over 2.9 million health points and racking up nearly 3,500 assists while avoiding any knockouts.
