Inside Marvel Rivals' Devastating 6.5 Balancing Pass: What Went Wrong

While there is no denying it Marvel Rivals Season 6 kicked off on the right foot – Rivals' The version of Deadpool filling all three roles was a wonderful surprise, and the collector's museum map is largely fun – season 6.5 is going through some difficult waters. Yes, Elsa Bloodstone looks fun to play, serving as a mix between Magik and OverwatchAshe is, but there's no denying that she's a lesser-known character and doesn't bring in as many eyeballs as Deadpool. Add in the return of the controversial gacha mechanics for the Mr. and Mrs. X skins, not to mention. Overwatchof the highly successful Season 1 relaunch, and for Season 6.5 there was more pressure than ever to be a big win to balance out. Unfortunately, the opposite has happened.

Marvel Rivals Has struggled with balance for a while now, as it feels like NetEase isn't quite sure what approach they want to take with their game. Some changes feel aimed at low ELO casual fans while others seem to be based solely on high ELO stats, and certain adjustments feel completely random. Overpowered heroes often go unchecked for far too long, leaving players frustrated, and based on social media reactions, this patch could be like breaking point. There's one particular meta that's been dominating as of late, along with a handful of heroes in desperate need of a shakeup. Unfortunately, the update failed to address these complaints, leading to many players threatening to quit the game or at least take time off from the game. and with Overwatch Looks too attractive to disappoint Rivals At this time fans, this is a concern.

Some players are also calling for the demotion of NetEase developer and lead combat designer Zhiyong. Although it's obviously harsh, he's essentially the target of all the outrage because he handles the balance section of Dev Visions.

Marvel Rivals' 6.5 Balancing Patch fails to hit poke damage or triple tactical comps

The arrival of Deadpool and Marvel Rivals' Briefly distracted by the complaints of the Kingsman drama, the triple tactician meta has been under constant criticism for months now. As a natural consequence of the lack of role queues, players will find unexpected strategies that feel unfair, and it's the developer's job to keep these creations in check. While Overwatch For a time the infamous GOATs were meta, Rivals' The most frustrating playstyle yet has seen players triple down on healers. This inevitably leads to fights that feel never-ending, drawn out by constant tactician ultimates that do all the damage players can lay down. It also feels restrictive, as any team that embraces it refuses to run a triple tactician in response to a team that embraces it.

Find all 10 pairs

If players have to play a triple strategist to compete with a triple strategist, a role queue may also exist, as players are not as independent with their team comps as they should be. This is not the only solution to the problem, however, NetEase can limit it where any team has a maximum of two strategists, reduce the overall healing output for each hero on the roster, or find another out-of-the-box solution that regular players don't think to cook. Unfortunately, any adjustments to tactics in Season 6.5 are fairly minor, with Adam Warlock's new ability to fly the only major change. And although this extra movement is both welcome and savvy, it feels like NetEase has skipped a beat on hero changes.

With another big issue Marvel Rivals' The latest balance update is that it doesn't fix the problem with many powerful heroes being broken or with a slap on the wrist. These troubled, yet strong, heroes include:

Pheonix (a health nerf is something, but does nothing to prevent her high damage)
Winter Soldier (no change)
Hella (no change)
Hawkeye (projectile size intact)
Gambit (no change)
Star-Lord (final buff not needed by hero)

Marvel Rivals Players annoyed by poke damage are out of luck with the 6.5 update, as they can expect more of the same for the next several weeks. Some of these characters remain unchanged, even surprisingly; Gambit was considered very strong when he first released, but has remained meta since his debut. He's essentially an insta-bun, which is frustrating for Gambit mains wanting to use him in comp and any characters who rely on his team-ups. Having characters that feel like necessary bans also takes up a ban slot, which is very frustrating when there are so many characters that feel too strong at the moment (and how teams can double-up on bans, leaving more OP characters unchecked).

Marvel Rivals should overhaul their approach to balance patches

What to be upset about Marvel Rivals Season 6.5 Update Here are some nice changes. The aforementioned Adam Warlock buff, as well as Storm's much-needed adjustments, deserve praise, as does the decision to go back for some existing cosmetics like Sue and Reed's wedding dress and add VFX options. Yet there's so much wrong, and so many strange adjustments (Loki's changes are brutal, because he's now constantly reloading stock), that it's clearer than ever that NetEase needs to rethink its approach to game balance.

First and foremost, clear communication is essential. Even if players agree to each change—and they often don't— OverwatchMajor patches include explanations for each hero adjustment. This way, players know what the developers were thinking when making the changes, and can use this additional insight to debate them appropriately. Rivals' updates, on the other hand, come with fun little quips about things like NetEase's Luna Snow favoritism. While these must be fascinating, they can come off as tone-deaf, as they are not completely filled with such comments, whatever the changes that have taken place.

Second, there is a case to be made for a “recovery season.” Marvel RivalsLike what happened with Rainbow Six Siegeof 'Surgical Health.' While two heroes per season is a big selling point for the game, and helps Rivals compete with OverwatchA one-off season where only one character (or none at all) might be the best way forward at this point. Instead of heroes and maps, constant balance updates can be done to satisfy frustrated players. Overhauling each tactician's treatment, nerfing characters players have been begging to see changed, and thoroughly reworking characters like Black Widows who need something more in their kits could be huge for the game long term. Maybe now is not the best time to ease into the content, eg Overwatch It has its foot on the pedal, but sometime down the road, a season of health may be worth the investment. And for now, more detailed insight through the patch notes and a better understanding of the nerfs the community actually wants to see is needed.