NetEase Games revamped the hero balance in Marvel Rivals' Season 1 (January), significantly buffing underplayed characters like Storm and Black Widow to enhance gameplay and character popularity.
Storm's buffs resulted in a dramatic surge in her win rate and popularity. Rivals Meta now ranks her as the top hero by win rate, a massive climb from her previous obscurity. In competitive play, her win percentage surpasses 56%, and her pick rate has soared to 16%, a stark contrast to her near-zero pick rate before the update. She's now outperforming established favorites like Adam Warlock, Jeff, Spider-Man, Hela, Hulk, Magik, and Iron Man.
While Storm's rise is remarkable, the most popular hero pairing remains Cloak and Dagger, although their win rate has dipped below 49%. Black Widow, however, continues to struggle, remaining the least popular and least successful character.
Marvel Rivals is experiencing significant growth, boasting hundreds of thousands of players in its competitive mode. The Grandmaster title remains highly exclusive, with only 0.1% of players achieving it, despite the existence of the Celestial rank.
One player achieved an extraordinary feat during Season 1: reaching Grandmaster rank without suffering any damage across 108 games! This player, utilizing Rocket Raccoon, focused solely on supporting teammates, restoring over 2.9 million health points and achieving nearly 3,500 assists without a single knockout.
