Marvel Rivals Season 2: Comprehensive Guide to Buffs and Nerfs

The recent Season 2 update for Marvel Rivals has introduced a range of buffs and nerfs for various characters, resulting in an evolving landscape of hero strengths. While some heroes have seen enhancements to their abilities, others have been adjusted to align better with the overall balance of the game’s character roster. This patch is poised to redefine team compositions due to the strategic shifts introduced by the alterations in character performance.

In this season, the new Vanguard hero, Emma Frost, has joined the ranks, alongside notable Team-Ups with Magneto and Psylocke. It’s important to note that there won’t be any adjustments made to Emma’s abilities until the upcoming Season 2.5 update, which coincides with the launch of Ultron. Depending on her performance in relation to other heroes, Emma Frost may receive further changes during that update.

Overview of Universal Changes

Introduction of New Currency Systems and Adjustments

Marvel Rivals Iron Fist Season 2 Battle Pass skin MVP animation

This season marks a significant overhaul compared to Season 1, as multiple universal changes are impacting game modes and currency systems. Most notably, all players have experienced a reduction of nine ranks in Competitive status, requiring everyone to climb back to their former positions throughout Season 2.

The map rotation for Competitive matches has also been streamlined, now featuring just four maps, including the newly introduced Krakoa: Hellfire Gala Domination map. These adjustments are part of the developers’ broader efforts to refine gameplay experiences and enhance player engagement.

Additionally, the gameplay mechanics for Team-Ups have undergone extensive changes. Presently, two Team-Ups have been fully removed, and various characters have been either added or shifted within existing combinations. Players can explore the term adjustments through the “Heroes”menu for more detailed information.

The earning process for in-game currencies such as Chrono Tokens and Lattice has been revised. Now, weekly missions and character-specific challenges are separate, providing players with fresh opportunities to acquire in-game currency relevant for new aesthetic upgrades. Moreover, the introduction of Unstable Molecules—a new currency category—will enable players to customize certain character costumes with unique colors.

Character Buffs & Nerfs Overview

Character Adjustments: Buffs and Nerfs

Not every character in the Duelist, Vanguard, or Strategist roles received adjustments. For those who did, developers have implemented considerable changes affecting various aspects of their abilities. The adjustments can generally be categorized as follows:

Alterations to existing abilities: This includes modifications to cooldowns, damage adjustments, etc.
Health adjustments: Characters’ health totals may have been increased or decreased.
Ultimate ability modifications: Charge times for Ultimate abilities could have been extended or reduced.

Overall, the adjustments in Season 2 yield a balance effect reflecting whether a character has been Buffed, Nerfed, or Remained Neutral. For instance, one character might face a reduction in the potency of their primary ability but receive compensatory boosts in health to retain viability across team compositions.

Vanguard Character Changes

Character	Season 2 Status	All Changes
Captain America	Nerfed	Slight decrease in overall resilience Base health reduced from 675 to 650 Shield value of Living Legend reduced from 400 to 350
Doctor Strange	Nerfed	Reduced offensive capabilities Daggers of Denak damage per shot reduced Maelstrom of Madness conversion ratio of Dark Magic to damage decreased
Hulk	Buffed	Increased base movement speed from 600 to 650 Reduced cooldown time for the Indestructible Guard ability Decreased minimum charge for Incredible Leap
Magneto	Nerfed	Increased Energy cost for Meteor M Ultimate ability
Peni Parker	Buffed	Primary fire can now trigger Critical Hits on headshots Reduced movement speed penalty during primary attacks Increased base health from 650 to 750
The Thing	Nerfed	Reduced damage reduction effect of Embattled Leap for himself and allies
Thor	Buffed	Increased base health from 525 to 650 Boosted base movement speed from 600 to 650

Vanguards notably experienced significant changes, with Doctor Strange facing substantial nerfs while Peni Parker enjoyed considerable buffs. Given that Vanguards play a pivotal role in any team composition, these adjustments are likely to shift team synergies during Season 2.

Duelist Character Changes

Character	Season 2 Status	All Changes
Black Widow	Buffed	Can shoot directly after the second kick of Edge Dancer Can shoot directly after using Electro-Plasma Explosion Ultimate
Hawkeye	Buffed	Reduced slow effect while charging bow shots Increased damage from Hypersonic Arrow Decreased Energy Cost for Hunter’s Sight Ultimate Improvement in bow draw speed during Ultimate
Hela	Neutral	Increased cooldown for Astral Flock ability Increased damage of Piercing Night ability Decreased cooldown for Soul Drainer ability
Human Torch	Buffed	Reduced attack interval for Fire Cluster Launch timing of primary attack projectile has been advanced Acquire degrading Bonus Health after using Flaming Meteor Cooldown for Flaming Meteor ability increased
Iron Man	Buffed	Reduced Iron Man’s hitbox size slightly Gains 100 Bonus Health when activating Armor or Gamma Overdrive

Character	Season 2 Status	All Changes
Iron Fist	Neutral	Reduced Bonus Health gained during Harmony Recovery Slow down Bonus Health falloff rate from Harmony Recovery Lower fixed damage from Yat Jee Chung Kuen Higher percentage damage from Yat Jee Chung Kuen based on Max Health Decreased cooldown for K’un-Lun Kick ability
Mister Fantastic	Buffed	Increased base health from 350 to 375 Enhanced damage from Stretch Punch primary attack Flexible Elongation ability now slows enemies Cooldown for Flexible Elongation reduced Less Elasticity from Elastic Strength, but more from other abilities Gains Bonus Health for every successful hit during Braniac Bounce Ultimate
Moon Knight	Buffed	Increased Crescent Dart projectile speed Gains Bonus Health from Moon Blade projectile per enemy hit Faster start-up time for Moonlight Hook ability Hand of Khonshu Ultimate lasts longer, is faster, and deals more damage
Scarlet Witch	Buffed	Removed Chaos Control percentage damage in favor of increased fixed damage Increased damage for Chtonian Burst projectiles and spell field Increased cooldown for Mystic Projection ability Reduced phase state duration during Mystic Projection Delayed the onset of the slow effect from Reality Erasure Ultimate
Star-Lord	Nerfed	Reduced damage from Blaster Barrage Introduced new damage falloff mechanics for Blaster Barrage ability
Winter Soldier	Nerfed	Increased cooldown for Bionic Hook ability Reduced base damage of Kraken Impact Ultimate Decreased damage threshold of Ultimate
Wolverine	Neutral	Gained increased Rage from Savage Claws primary attack Reduced Rage gain from Berserk Claw Strike Reduced Rage gained from Feral Leap ability Increased Rage from receiving damage Reduced time knocked down after using Last Stand Ultimate

The adjustments for Duelist roles reflect a significant number of buffs, particularly for those heroes that previously underperformed. Notably, The Human Torch and Mister Fantastic have received enhancements, positioning them as formidable contenders within the game. With an expanded roster of viable Duelists in Season 2, assessing which heroes reign supreme is an evolving challenge.

Strategist Character Changes

Character	Season 2 Status	All Changes
Adam Warlock	Neutral	Increased cooldown for Soul Bond ability Karmic Revival Ultimate restores 30% health for fallen allies
Cloak & Dagger	Nerfed	Eternal Bond Ultimate healing zones no longer stack
Invisible Woman	Nerfed	Guardian Shield value decreased from 300 to 250
Loki	Nerfed	Cooldown for Regeneration Domain ability increased from 25 to 30 seconds
Mantis	Neutral	Decreased base health from 275 to 250 Healing Flower or Allied Inspiration effects can now stack
Rocket Raccoon	Neutral	Healing area of Repair Mode spheres reduced Repair Mode spheres now only have a one-time healing effect Speed of Repair Mode spheres decreased Increased cooldown and reduced distance of Jetpack Dash ability Reduced damage boost from C.Y.A. Ultimate ability C.Y.A. Ultimate now heals allies by granting degrading Bonus Health

Strategist characters have experienced noticeable nerfs this season, likely in response to the dominant “Triple Support”meta from the previous season. Despite the reductions, some heroes have emerged as more formidable threats, particularly Rocket Raccoon, whose healing capabilities have been enhanced significantly.

The extensive changes across the character roster may necessitate experimentation to discover the most effective strategies and playstyles. While the buffs and nerfs in Marvel Rivals Season 2 are comprehensive, many characters continue to excel in gameplay, provided players understand their strengths and weaknesses.

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