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Season 3.5 of Marvel Rivals hits the halfway mark with a big update that changes many character abilities. Some heroes have been nerfed to make them more balanced, while others received buffs to boost their power. These changes could shake up the game’s overall strategy, so it’s important to understand what each adjustment is.
The major updates in Season 3 have already shaped the game’s current state. For example, a new teamwork ability between The Phoenix and Wolverine has made Wolverine very strong, causing him to be banned in most competitive matches. With a new character, Blade, joining in Season 3.5, even more adjustments could significantly impact the game’s balance.
Character Buffs in Season 3.5
Most of the changes in this season are buffs, giving some heroes more opportunities and improving their effectiveness. These updates aim to rebalance heroes who were weaker before or to make others more competitive. Here’s a quick look at some of the key buffs:
- Doctor Strange: Increased the number of projectile charges for Daggers of Denak and reduced the cooldown for Cloak of Levitation.
- Groot: Extended the attack range of Vine Strike and increased the radius of Flora Colossus effects.
- Thor: Gained a fixed ThorForce boost when exiting the awakened state, enemies leaving Lightning Realm are grounded for 2 seconds, and their aerial abilities are limited temporarily.
- Iron Fist: Damage of his Yat Jee Chung Keen strikes and other attacks has been increased, along with overall survivability.
- Star-Lord: Gains extra health when using Stellar Shift.
- Spider-Man: His Ultimate spin attack now deals more damage per second.
- Adam Warlock: Uses less energy for his revival ability, revives allies with extra health, and charges his Life Stream faster.
The heroes receiving the biggest boosts are Thor, Iron Fist, and Adam Warlock, each gaining new ways to use their skills more often or deal more damage, making them stronger contributors to team fights.
Character Nerfs in Season 3.5
Compared to buffs, there are fewer nerfs here. Most involve slightly reducing resources needed for certain abilities, mainly affecting characters’ ability to charge their Ultimates quickly—making them less overpowering in matches. Notable nerfs include:
- Magneto: Reduced the shield strength of Metal Bulwark and Iron Bulwark.
- Black Panther: Increased cooldown on Spirit Rend.
- Wolverine: Higher energy cost for his Last Stand Ultimate, and Lifesteal from Primal Flame Team-Up no longer charges his Ultimate.
- Cloak & Dagger: Higher energy cost for their Ultimate ability.
- Mantis: Reduced healing effect of Healing Flower and decreased projectile charges for her attack.
Some characters, like Mantis, both received buffs and nerfs, likely to keep their overall power level stable but shift their role in team dynamics.
Team-Up Changes in Season 3.5
Only one Team-Up has a direct balance change in this update. While many Team-Ups now include new characters with fresh abilities, this one sees an adjustment:
- Ever-Burning Bond (The Human Torch and Spider-Man): After using this Team-Up, Spider-Man now stays closer, making follow-up attacks more reliable. Previously, he would often be knocked out of position, making it hard to continue damaging enemies. Now, he can execute stronger combos more easily, such as firing a flaming web and instantly dealing more damage with his attacks.
Most other Team-Ups either stay the same or have added features, but this particular synergy is improved to be more effective.
Overall, the Season 3.5 update mainly brings quality-of-life improvements than radical changes. It reflects a faster patch cycle, hinting at what larger changes could come in Season 4. These adjustments help keep gameplay fresh and balanced while setting the stage for more significant updates in the future.
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