Marvel Rivals' new balance patch has shaken up multiple heroes heading into Season 7, but it appears to have left the game's most pressing competitive problem largely untouched. Captain America has undergone significant changes to his combat mechanics, with melee strikes now dealing damage equivalent to his shield throw combo and allowing players to weave together close-quarters attacks with his Leading Dash ability without losing damage consistency. Yet this adjustment has drawn criticism for focusing on the wrong problem entirely.
Gambit received a nerf reducing his ultimate ability effect duration from 10 seconds to eight, but the Strategist character remains the first hero banned in creator tournaments, with his strength helping maintain the three-strategist meta that has dominated since his release. Gaming outlets covering the patch expressed frustration that the cooldown on his ultimate ability was not adjusted, leaving players without meaningful tools to counter his influence.
The broader Season 7 update reflects NetEase's attempt to reshape how the game flows in combat. The patch slows the pace of Ultimate Abilities across all roles, with the overall aim to keep core combat engaging while dialling back rapid-fire Ultimates. The change also targets triple-Strategist team compositions without compromising core combat experience, with the charge rate reduction representing roughly a 20% drop across all roles.
NetEase initially nerfed Captain America's Ultimate and made his shield throws smoother during sprints, but the changes drew mixed reactions from the community. In response, the developers released hotfixes that reworked his Sentinel Strike combo so that sprinting no longer cancels shield throws, improving consistency at the cost of slightly slower execution of less than 0.3 seconds total, whilst also buffing his close-range damage.
Emma Frost also received attention; whilst the White Queen's ultimate ability was improved, her Diamond Form damage reduction was reduced from 25% to 20%, which was addressed by lowering the cooldown on her Diamond Form by 3 seconds and increasing Mind's Aegis recovery. Black Panther received additional buffs with his Spinning Kick now functioning in omnidirectional movement rather than being confined to a flat plane.
The Season 7 update arrives on 20 March and signals an iterative approach to balance. Whilst these changes are not perfect, they show NetEase listens to the community and is willing to make necessary adjustments, with more buffs and nerfs likely to follow shortly after Season 7 release.