Marvel Rivals Season 1 is just around the corner, bringing a slew of hero adjustments, buffs, nerfs, and exciting new content. This guide compiles the key updates, balancing tweaks, and features introduced with Season 1. From character changes to sneak peeks at upcoming skins, everything about the season’s launch is covered.
Hero Balancing: Hela, Hawkeye, and Storm Changes
The latest updates for Marvel Rivals Season 1 focus on refining hero abilities to ensure balanced gameplay. Notable changes include:
- Hela: Her HP faces a nerf alongside faster damage falloff, impacting long-range efficiency. Despite these adjustments, her core damage output remains unchanged, making her a strong DPS option.
- Hawkeye: A slower focus charge rate (2.5 seconds for max charge) reduces his ability to land one-shot attacks. However, his damage output per shot remains consistent.
- Storm: Increased fire rate and longer damage falloff enhance her viability. A single target with 275 HP can now be defeated in five hits instead of six, improving her effectiveness against healers.
Vanguard and Utility Heroes: Venom, Wolverine, and Cloak and Dagger (Marvel Rivals Season 1)
Season 1 introduces impactful changes for vanguard and utility heroes, reshaping their roles on the battlefield:
- Venom: A stronger slow effect on his right-click ability amplifies his threat during backline dives.
- Wolverine: A 50 HP increase boosts his survivability, raising his health to 350. He also benefits from a 15% damage boost as part of the season bonus.
- Cloak and Dagger: Their ultimate ability now allows four dashes instead of three. Switching between modes feels faster, providing smoother transitions during combat.
Fantastic Four and New Game Modes
Marvel Rivals Season 1 highlights the arrival of the Fantastic Four with recolored skins for Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman, alongside themed hero proficiency pages. Season 1 introduces “Doom Free-for-All,” a chaotic game mode set in Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum. Players can engage in portal-filled battles, showcasing the game’s new map with unique interactive features.
Additionally, achieving gold rank or higher unlocks the Blood Shield Invisible Woman Skin, sporting white hair with red tips. Thor enthusiasts can also earn a Classic Comic Thor Skin through an in-game event.
Vampire Skins and Dracula’s Empire
Season 1 teases the arrival of vampire-themed skins, including Black Panther, Winter Soldier, and Psylocke as part of the “Eternal Knight Falls” storyline. A dramatic artwork showcases Dracula subduing Blade, hinting that defeating Dracula may unlock Blade as a playable hero. This expansion blends narrative depth with exciting new content.
Massive Content Rollout: What to Expect in Season 1
Season 1 stands out with double the content of future seasons, featuring four playable characters, three maps, a new mode, and a packed battle pass. Developers aim to ensure a rich launch experience while managing expectations for subsequent seasons, which will likely feature fewer characters per update. This strategy balances long-term content sustainability and player engagement.
Marvel Rivals Season 1 brings a huge amount of content, combining gameplay refinements, hero updates, and visually striking skins. The introduction of new modes like Doom Free-for-All and the expansion of the storyline with vampire-themed skins adds depth to the Marvel universe. As hinted by the developers, future seasons will scale back the volume of content, focusing on quality rather than quantity. However, Season 1 sets a high benchmark, delivering a comprehensive experience that celebrates the game’s successful launch and the iconic arrival of the Fantastic Four. Players can look forward to more thrilling battles as this epic season unfolds.
