Leaked Marvel Rivals buffs and nerfs fails to address triple support meta

A Marvel Rivals leak shared hero buffs and nerfs coming in the upcoming mid-season update, and the rumored changes don’t do enough to crack down on the triple support meta.

Overwatch 2 uses a role queue system that restricts each team’s composition to one tank, two damage heroes, and two support heroes. NetEase explained that there are no plans to introduce a role queue to Marvel Rivals because it limits the freedom to experiment with different team compositions.

However, the lack of restrictions has resulted in a triple support meta because support heroes are extremely tough to counter. Loki, Luna Snow, and Cloak and Dagger are all top-tier characters because their ultimates charge quickly and heal allies for an extended period, slowing down matches to a screeching halt.

The upcoming mid-season update on February 21 is slated to include hero balancing changes, and while there are support nerfs, it’s not enough to shake up the meta.

Why you should still be scared of triple support meta in Season 1.5

netease / marvel

In Season 1.5, Adam Warlock will reportedly finally receive a buff with increased damage and healing capabilities. Meanwhile, the ultimate cost will be increased for Cloak and Dagger, Luna Sow, Loki, Mantis, and Invisible Woman.

In addition, Cloak and Dagger had their Dash Lanes / Fog That Heals ability’s duration reduced and will no longer be able to stack the healing effect of those Dash lanes. Mantis also had her ultimate bonus HP reduced from 100 to 75.

Mantis and Cloak and Dagger might be easier to neutralize now, but a slight cost increase doesn’t do enough to detract players from using these characters. For example, Luna Snow only had her ultimate cost increase from 4000 to 4500, and it’s a similar slight increase for other support heroes.

NetEase missed a perfect opportunity to nerf the ultimates and decrease their healing durations, but the abilities will be just as powerful as before.

I still expect most team compositions in competitive matches to include three support heroes moving forward until there are more significant changes.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though, because this update does expose a major flaw in the triple support strategy. Since the ultimates now take longer to charge, this creates a window for the opposing team to use their ultimates.

So, after the three support heroes alternate their ultimates to block most incoming damage, teams with more damage and tank heroes will be able to capitalize on that dead time by using abilities without any pushback.

And since the three support teams lack damage output, it should be easy to punish them when there isn’t an active ultimate.

For more on countering the triple support meta, check out one slept-on hero who is the perfect back-line destroyer.