NetEase's latest update for Marvel Rivals, Season 6.5, has been met with significant dissatisfaction from the player community. Despite the introduction of the new character Elsa Bloodstone and a series of balance adjustments, players are expressing widespread frustration over persistent gameplay imbalances. The timing of this update, coinciding with a rival game, Overwatch, reaching new player count records, has only intensified the critical sentiment among Marvel Rivals enthusiasts.
Many players and commentators argue that the recent modifications have not effectively addressed the core issues plaguing the game's meta. Characters like Venom have received further enhancements to their survivability, while Star-Lord's ultimate ability now charges even faster. Popular heroes such as Hela and Phoenix continue to dominate with high precision damage, and Adam Warlock's flight ability adds another challenging aerial presence to contend with. These changes are perceived as exacerbating existing power disparities rather than creating a more equitable playing field.
A major point of contention revolves around the overwhelming effectiveness of healing characters. Support heroes, including Invisible Woman, Luna Snow, and Gambit—especially since his debut in Season 5—are considered excessively powerful. This has led to a prevalent "triple support" strategy in high-ranked matches and competitive play, forcing other character archetypes into subordinate roles. The community is particularly perplexed by Gambit's consistent evasion of nerfs, despite frequently being banned in tournaments due to his dominant performance.
The ongoing difficulties with hero balancing have fostered a sense of disillusionment within the Marvel Rivals community. Players feel that NetEase has repeatedly failed to implement appropriate buffs and nerfs, often making decisions that run contrary to community expectations. This starkly contrasts with the recent success of Overwatch, which has seen a surge in player engagement following its own major updates. Some frustrated players have publicly expressed their loss of hope regarding the game's future balance, with calls for the lead combat designer, Zhiyong, to be replaced.
The continuous introduction of new characters without corresponding fundamental improvements to game balance is seen as a significant problem. Many believe that the development team should prioritize an entire season dedicated to refining the game's core mechanics and addressing long-standing balance issues, rather than focusing solely on expanding the roster. This approach, players argue, is essential to restore faith in the game and ensure its long-term viability against strong competitors in the market.
