Marvel Rivals Update Still Lacks Players’ Top-Requested Feature

The Marvel Rivals patch dropping today is, admittedly, not as far-reaching as many fans were crossing their fingers for. While you’ll spot some fresh skins available for Captain America and Luna Snow and see a handful of pesky bugs being squished, don’t expect any shifts to the game’s balance just yet.

NetEase, the brains behind Marvel Rivals, is keeping mum on when we’ll see the next hefty balance update. Since we’re in the very first season, there’s no playbook to reference either. What they have shared is that players should count on a new hero every six weeks. With Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman joining the fun on January 10, it looks like we can circle February 21 on our calendars for the likely entrance of The Thing and Human Torch, aligning with the midpoint of this season.

Considering the similarities Marvel Rivals shares with Overwatch 2, there’s a possibility we might see balance tweaks in the mid-season update. Blizzard usually rolls out changes in the middle of the season to let players settle into the current meta, and NetEase could be eyeing a similar approach.

In a chat with Metro back in January, game director Guangyun Chen mentioned that they plan to use hero pick rates and win rates as a compass for deciding on balance adjustments. “When we have some detailed analysis and thoughtful consideration, we’ll definitely make the necessary tweaks,” he promised.

An elephant in the room within the community is how NetEase will tackle the hold that support heroes seem to have on the game. Characters like Luna Snow and Mantis possess ultimate abilities that can pretty much counteract everything else, sparking debates on whether they need to be toned down. Meanwhile, Storm maintains her reign with the highest win rate, especially at higher skill levels.

For now, players have a sleek, futuristic pink and purple skin for Luna Snow to enjoy, along with a more rugged look for Steve Rogers, straight out of Avengers: Infinity War. And there you have it—a little something to tide you over until the next update shakes things up.