Marvel Rivals has been getting consistent updates ever since its release, whether it’s new events, mini-passes or balance patches that buff and nerf heroes dominating the meta. This week’s Balance Adjustments patch has brought down the nerf hammer on a Fantastic 4 staple and the God of Mischief, while also having a much-needed buff for the newest addition to the dynamic hero roster. Here’s every buff and nerf that was implemented in the game via the August 21 Balance Patch:
Hero Buffs | Duelists
Blade is getting a deserved buff with the newest Balance Update. He now has more juice to stay on the battlefield, with an increase in Lifesteal during Bloodline Awakening from 60% to 65%, making him more resilient and reducing his dependency on Strategists to come to his rescue.
His self-healing reduction has also been reduced from 40% to 35%, which means the Daywalker will be able to heal himself more while taking down enemies in his Bloodline Awakening state. This will allow him to shred enemies at close range quickly while also getting the required heals to stay for a longer duration against them. His external healing remains reduced during this state.
Hero Nerfs | Duelists
Human Torch has taken a minor hit in his attack capabilities, with his Flame Fields’ damage over time being reduced while performing his Blazing Blast ability from 25 per second to 20 per second. It’s a small reduction, but it can make all the difference in the world when you’re playing against Vanguards.
The damage over time for Torch’s Pyro-Prison ability, which is activated by placing the Flame Fields via Blazing Blast, has also been nerfed from 50 per second to 40 per second. It seems like NetEase knew how bad he was dominating the meta and decided to level the playing field by introducing these nerfs. He’ll still be dangerous to squishy Strategists and Duelists, but the reduced attacking capabilities can give them a newfound peace of mind when playing against Torch.
Hero Nerfs | Strategists
Loki’s primary fire, Mystical Missile’s damage, has been nerfed from 30 to 25. This will affect his illusions as well, reducing the damage dealt through the God of Mischief’s primary attack. However, since Loki’s primary fire can both heal and deal damage, this nerf applies only to the primary fire’s damaging capabilities, leaving his healing done to teammates unchanged. NetEase is pushing for him to be a more potent Strategist, unlike most players who play him as a hybrid, both healing and dealing damage simultaneously.
Loki’s no Adam Warlock, and he’ll never be, which is why NetEase has introduced this nerf to push more players into playing him as a Strategist. While the God of Mischief’s illusions and mischievousness might be nerfed, he’s still good enough to fool his enemies on the battlefield and provide optimal healing to his teammates.
With August 21’s Balance Patch, the meta for Marvel Rivals changes again, and Blade’s much-needed buff might make players pick him over the other Duelists. NetEase is always listening to the community and their feedback, and their commitment to making the game fun for everyone is worthy of admiration.
