Marvel Rivals' first balance patch targets two popular Duelists and Jeff's ultimate

The leadup to Marvel Rivals season 1 is well underway. We already know that the entire Fantastic 4 squad is coming in a Dracula-themed season called Eternal Night, but in a video published today, NetEase shared something arguably more significant: the details of its very first balancing patch.

How NetEase plans to balance its popular new shooter has been an open question in its first month—its first handful of patches have consisted entirely of store updates and bug fixes, no hero adjustments. That changes in season 1.

"As season 0 closes, our tireless analysis along with player feedback has revealed a rich tapestry of team compositions in regular matches, showcasing exciting diversity," said lead combat designer Zhiyong. "However, as rank levels climb, shield-and-ranged hero combos seem to have become our first meta, with ranged duelists particularly dominating their lineups."

Indeed, the "stand behind a shield and shoot the other team" strategies of Overwatch 1 are alive and well in Rivals. Two particularly dominant Duelists are the targets of Marvel Rivals' first nerfs: Hawkeye and Hela. The specifics of the nerfs will have to wait for official patch notes, but NetEase says the idea is "ensuring all ranged heroes have a chance to shine."

Interestingly, the other balance changes NetEase talked about are almost all buffs. "Mobile-type" Vanguard heroes Captain America and Venom are getting buffs, seemingly to their speed.

"Additionally, we're boosting the capabilities of heroes that shine in specialized compositions, like Wolverine and Storm, to ensure they are the cornerstone of unique strategies," Zhiyong said.

I haven't played Wolverine or Storm (or seen them all that often in matches), so I'm not sure what to take away from NetEase's vagueness yet. Cloak and Dagger are getting an equally unclear buff to boost their effectiveness in "diverse" team comps.

Maybe the most personally heartbreaking nerf, though easily the most necessary, is a nerf to Jeff the Land Shark's team-swallowing ultimate:

"The detection range of Jeff the Land Shark's ultimate ability will also be fine-tuned to better align with early warning signals."

OK, that's at least approaching straightforward: It'll be easier to avoid Jeff ults in the future, so we can probably expect fewer "giga gulp" team wipes. Hopefully the change isn't so harsh that Jeff's most unique ability suddenly feels useless.

Some other stuff we learned in this video:

• Mister Fantastic is a Duelist, Invisible Woman is a Strategist who can shield allies, Human Torch is a Duelist, and The Thing is a Vanguard
• The Thing and Human Torch are arriving later in a mid-season update
• Season 1 has three new maps, including one escort map
• The season 1 battle pass will cost 990 Lattice and be double the size of the season 0 pass
• NetEase will have a webpage showing official pick/win rates of heroes across every mode, updated every half-season

NetEase wrapped the video by setting some important expectations for future seasons. Don't expect four new heroes every three months—apparently, this is a special "double-sized" season for the Fantastic 4, and the usual cadence will eventually settle to two heroes per season (which still sounds like a lot). Season 1 starts January 10 and will go on for three months.