Marvel Rivals Season 9: The Mystery of Thebes & Massive Balance Update

Marvel Rivals is launching Season 9, "The Mystery of Thebes," on July 10th UTC, bringing a new hero, a brand-new map, and a significant balance overhaul. The development team has released a new Dev Vision video detailing the upcoming changes.

Global Gameplay Changes

Season 9 introduces a new type of health and adjusts Ultimate Ability energy generation:

• Ultimate Ability Energy Generation: To align with new gameplay changes, the efficiency of Ultimate Ability energy generation has been adjusted:
  • Vanguards & Duelists: Damage-to-energy conversion reduced from 70% to 55%.
  • Strategists: Healing-to-energy conversion reduced from 75% to 60%; damage-to-energy conversion reduced from 75% to 55%.
• Regenerative Shields: A brand-new health type, Regenerative Shields, has been introduced. They function like base Health but automatically regenerate fully over 5 seconds if no damage is taken for 5 seconds.

Hero Adjustments

Balance tweaks were driven by Season 8.5 performance and the new Team-Up system. Some heroes, even if underperforming previously, received nerfs due to strong synergy with the new Team-Up system in internal playtests.

VANGUARD

• Angela: Base Health reduced from 450 to 350, gains 200 Regenerative Shield. Team-Up Anchor 100 Bonus Health removed.
• Captain America: Base Health reduced from 600 to 300, gains 300 Regenerative Shield. Team-Up Anchor 100 Bonus Health removed (Total Health reduced from 700 to 600).
• Deadpool - Vanguard: Dual Desert Eagles damage increased (34 to 36 standard, 39 to 40 upgraded). Upgraded Deadpool In Your Area Damage Reduction for allies increased (20% to 25%) and for Deadpool (30% to 35%). Base Health increased from 450 to 500. Team-Up Anchor 50 Bonus Health removed.
• Devil Dinosaur: Base Health increased from 750 to 850. Prehistoric Plating critical hit damage reduction increased from 50% to 60%. Reduced Ultimate Energy gain for enemies damaging or allies healing Devil Dinosaur increased from 35% to 40%. Team-Up Anchor 100 Bonus Health removed.
• Doctor Strange: Base Health increased from 575 to 650. Shield of the Seraphim value increased from 700 to 850. Team-Up Anchor 100 Bonus Health removed. Gains an additional 150 shield value for Shield of the Seraphim when Invisible Woman is Team-Up partner (Total 1000).
• Groot: Base Health increased from 700 to 850. Team-Up Anchor 150 Bonus Health removed.
• Hulk: Heavy Blow Damage increased from 40 to 45. Base Health reduced from 650 to 400, gains 300 Regenerative Shield. Hulk Smash! Ultimate Ability energy cost increased from 3400 to 3700. Team-Up Anchor 100 Bonus Health removed (Total Health reduced from 750 to 700).
• Peni Parker: Team-Up Anchor 50 Bonus Health removed.
• Rogue: Defensive Stance Damage Reduction reduced from 60% to 55%. Maximum bonus damage for Southern Brawl at full energy reduced from 90 to 75. Base Health reduced from 650 to 350, gains 225 Regenerative Shield (Total Health reduced from 650 to 575).
• The Thing: Bonus Health cap for Stone Haymaker increased from 100 to 150. Vertical detection height of Yancy Street Charge anti-movement zone slightly increased. Backswing animation time for Clobberin' Time after Battle Blitz or Embattled Leap slightly reduced.
• Thor: Uncharged Storm Surge travel distance slightly increased. Hammer Throw damage increased (45 to 50 on throw, 20 to 25 on return). Bonus Health upon hit increased from 50 to 75. Base Health reduced from 600 to 300, gains 300 Regenerative Shield.
• Venom: Base Health reduced from 675 to 500, gains 250 Regenerative Shield. Team-Up Anchor 150 Bonus Health removed (Total Health reduced from 825 to 750).

DUELIST

• Black Cat: Base Health reduced from 275 to 150, gains 125 Regenerative Shield. Maximum Fortune cap increased from 1,000 to 1,200. Odds of high Fortune payout from Tablet of Destinies increased. Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost removed.
• Black Panther: Base Health reduced from 275 to 150, gains 125 Regenerative Shield.
• Cyclops: Optic Blast single-hit damage reduced from 25 to 21. Ricochet Force damage reduced from 80 to 70. Cooldowns of Propulsion Burst and Optic Ascent increased from 12s to 15s. Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost removed.
• Daredevil: Base Health reduced from 300 to 150, gains 150 Regenerative Shield. Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost removed.
• Deadpool – Duelist: Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost removed.
• Elsa Bloodstone: Double-Barrel Blaster ammo capacity increased from 8 to 12 shells. Helix Advance cooldown increased from 10s to 11s. When Devil Dinosaur is Team-Up partner, Double-Barrel Blaster individual pellet damage increased from 4.5 to 5.
• Hawkeye: Piercing Arrow damage scaling while charging slightly increased (max damage unchanged). Piercing Arrow base projectile speed increased from 120m/s to 130m/s, max projectile speed from 180m/s to 195m/s.
• Hela: Nightsword Thorn base damage increased from 70 to 80. Damage falloff adjusted (starts at 18m, reduces to 75% at 35m, from 70% at 30m). Astral Flock Adjustment: Hela can now fly freely in Crow form. Team-Up Anchor bonus 15% Damage Boost removed.
• Human Torch: Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost removed.
• Iron Man: Single-handed Repulsor Blast spell field damage reduced from 50 to 45. Dual-handed Repulsor Blast spell field damage reduced from 55 to 50. While Armor Overdrive is active, Repulsor Blast spell field damage reduced from 65 to 60. Unibeam (Armor Overdrive) damage reduced from 190/s to 180/s. Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost removed.
• Magik: Base Health reduced from 250 to 150, gains 125 Regenerative Shield (Total Health increased from 250 to 275).
• Moon Knight: Crescent Dart damage per hit increased from 23 to 25. Hand of Khonshu Ultimate Ability energy cost increased from 2800 to 3100. Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost removed.
• Phoenix: Endsong Inferno Ultimate Ability Explosion Damage increased from 140 to 150. Team-Up Anchor bonus 10% Damage Boost removed.
• Psylocke: Psionic Crossbow single-hit base damage increased from 12 to 13. Base Health reduced from 250 to 150, gains 100 Regenerative Shield. When Emma Frost is Team-Up partner, Bonus Health from Wing Shurikens increased from 10 to 15. When Cloak & Dagger are Team-Up partners, Psionic Crossbow single-hit base damage increased from 13 to 14.
• Scarlet Witch: Dark Seal can now be cast while Mystic Projection is active, canceling Mystic Projection.
• Star-Lord: 25 Bonus Health from Stellar Shift removed. Base Health reduced from 250 to 150, gains 100 Regenerative Shield.
• Storm: Wind Blade base damage increased from 55 to 60. Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost removed.
• The Punisher: Adjudication damage per hit reduced from 20 to 19. Deliverance damage per hit reduced from 10 to 9.5. When Daredevil is Team-Up partner, Adjudication single-hit damage increased by 1 (to 20), and Deliverance single-hit damage increased by 0.5 (to 10).

STRATEGIST

• Adam Warlock: Base Health increased from 250 to 275. Cosmic Cluster projectile damage reduced from 38 to 35. When Ultron is Team-Up partner, Quantum Magic ammo capacity increased from 15 to 25.
• Cloak & Dagger: Lightforce Dagger direct-hit healing increased from 12 to 15, lingering spell field healing from 20 to 25. Veil of Lightforce one-time healing increased from 45 to 50. Dagger Storm healing output increased from 45/s to 50/s. Team-Up Anchor bonus 15% Healing Boost removed.
• Deadpool – Strategist: Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Healing Boost removed.
• Gambit: Kinetic Cards single-hit healing output increased from 28 to 30. Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Healing Boost removed.
• Invisible Woman: Healing from outgoing Orb Projection increased from 45 to 50, and on return from 35 to 40. Team-Up Anchor bonus 15% Healing Boost removed.
• Luna Snow: 10% Damage Boost from Number One Idol removed, Healing Boost increased from 10% to 20%. Healing Boost provided to attached ally via Idol Aura increased from 35% to 40%. Team-Up Anchor bonus 15% Healing Boost removed.
• Mantis: Team-Up Anchor bonus 10% Healing Boost removed. When Star-Lord is Team-Up partner, Healing Flower healing output enhanced (10 + 2.5% max Health/s to 15 + 3% max Health/s). When Adam Warlock is Team-Up partner, Nature's Favor self-healing enhanced (12.5/s to 17.5/s) while Natural Anger is active.
• Rocket Raccoon: Healing amount when Repair Mode orb passes through an ally increased from 50 to 55. C.Y.A. Ultimate Ability energy cost increased from 4000 to 4300. C.Y.A. now has distance-based falloff (decays at 8m, max 60% reduction at 20m). Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Healing Boost removed.
• Ultron: Imperative: Firewall drones area healing output increased from 30/s to 35/s.
• White Fox: Spirit Sanctuary cooldown increased from 12s to 15s. Team-Up Anchor bonus 10% Healing Boost removed. Upon activating Kumiho Unleashed, total Health increased from 900 to 1,200.