We're a week out from Marvel Rivals Season 4 now, but before we can all enjoy the arrival of a new Vanguard and map, there's still some time to grind the battle pass and competitive, if you're brave enough. But before you do that, it may be a good idea to check out the new balance patch—there are some… interesting details in there.
"The Marvel Rivals universe is shifting," the patch says. "Some are getting recharged, some are facing nerfs, and new team-up changes are bringing even more epic showdowns! Let's break down which heroes are getting a power boost and who's feeling the sting."
Heroes on the chopping block to get nerfed include Loki, Squirrel Girl, Psylocke, Black Panther, Emma Frost, Captain America, and Luna Snow, as the devs make a point to add "See, we do nerf her!" fair play. Heroes like Doctor Strange and Magik have had a mixture of buffs and nerfs.
But the real kicker is just how many heroes have had a substantial buff just in time for the last week of Season 3. For the strategists, Ultron, Mantis, Jeff the Land Shark, and Invisible Woman have all been made quite a bit more powerful, with Ultron dealing more damage, and Mantis getting a big movement boost. Peni Parker and Thor are the lucky Vanguards who've been buffed, and the Duelists getting special treatment include Blade, Moon Knight, Winter Soldier, and Scarlet Witch, or should I call her nuclear bomb?
"Wanda's survivability and Ultimate are getting a magical upgrade," the patch notes say. She can now be healed by allies while in her fade form, Mystic Projection and her ultimate Reality Erasure now deals 9,999 damage, up from 800, so just a little 1149.88% increase, nothing special.
This may seem terrifying as her ult will essentially now act like a bomb dropping onto everyone, but at least the radius isn't that great. Oh wait, they buffed that too. Now Wanda's ult has a new effect that can pull in nearby enemies within a 15m radius during the cast charge. The max pull speed is 2.4m/s, so not quick black-hole speeds, but I'm sure it'll feel like it before Wanda ults.
It's a rather fitting way to see out Season 3 if you ask me, thanks to just how chaotic it'll probably make team fights. But who knows, it may teach Rivals players to be even more on top of the ult economy, or everyone will just flounder—it remains to be seen.
