Marvel Rivals Feb. 21 Patch Notes - Huge Tank Changes, The Thing, Human Torch
Marvel Rivals Season 1 is entering its second phase, adding new heroes, costumes, and more with a massive balance patch to kick off the next six weeks of gameplay.
Marvel Rivals Season 1: Eternal Night Falls Part 2 introduces Human Torch and The Thing while also dropping balance adjustments to shake up the game’s current meta at all levels. Here is a full overview of the Feb. 21 patch notes and what it means for the game moving forward.
- Marvel Rivals Season 1 Feb. 21 Patch Notes Release Time
- All Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2 Feb. 21 Patch Notes
- All Vanguard Changes for Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2
- All Duelist Changes for Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2
- All Specialist Changes for Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2
- Team-Up Ability Changes for Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2
- Marvel Rivals Season 1 Feb. 21 Patch New Heroes, Skins, and Maps
- Marvel Rivals Season 1 Feb. 21 Patch - Esports Impact
Marvel Rivals Season 1 Feb. 21 Patch Notes Release Time
The Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2 patch is dropping on Feb. 21, with maintenance starting at 1am PT.
According to the developers, Marvel Rivals will go offline for maintenance at 1am PT and is scheduled to be down for around three hours. The game will be unplayable during this period.
All Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2 Feb. 21 Patch Notes
This Feb. 21 patch follows a smaller patch from Feb. 13 that focused on fixing bugs and odd interactions between heroes and game mechanics.
All of these balance adjustments are listed with extra commentary from the developers from the official patch notes.
All Vanguard Changes for Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2
Captain America
“Steve will receive some enhanced survivability, his Vibranium Energy Saw will feel smoother, and his Ultimate Ability will be more attainable thanks to a reduced energy cost.”
- Cap can shield himself with Living Legend mid-leap.
- Increase Vibranium Energy Saw's projectile speed from 60m/s to 80m/s, with ricochets ramping up from 100m/s to a supercharged 150m/s.
- Reduce the energy cost of Freedom Charge (Ultimate Ability) from 3,100 to 2,800.
- Enhance Captain America's combat experience by separating Sentinel Strike from melee attacks. Captain America will be able to use melee attacks while his shield is thrown or during the Team-Up Ability Charged Aegis state to activate the first two hits of Sentinel Strike. Additionally, while airborne, using melee attacks will no longer trigger the Super-Soldier Slam ability.
Doctor Strange
- Reduce base health from 650 to 600.
Groot
- Increase Thornlash Wall placement range from 15 meters to 18 meters.
Magneto
“The Master of Magnetism will experience a slight dip in survivability but will be compensated with a small surge in offensive ability.”
- Increase Iron Volley projectile damage from 35 to 40.
- Increase Metallic Curtain's energy consumption from 50/s to 65/s; Reduce its Maximum Duration from 2s to 1.5s.
Thor
- Remove the shared cooldown time after the duration of Awakening Rune ends.
Venom
- Adjust the knock back effect of Frenzied Arrival from vertical to inward, with an inward knockback angle of 75°.
- Reduce the energy cost of Feast of the Abyss (Ultimate Ability) from 2,800 to 2,500.
All Duelist Changes for Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2
Black Widow
- Increase the magazine capacity of the Red Room Rifle from 8 to 15.
- Enhance the slow effect of Electro-Plasma Explosion (Ultimate Ability) on enemies from 80% to 55%. Additionally, it will apply a 15% Vulnerability effect to hit enemies for 4 seconds.
Hawkeye
“We're sharpening Clint’s survival instincts and honing his close-quarters capabilities, while his Ultimate Ability takes aim with greater peril.”\
- Increase base health from 250 to 275.
- Reduce projectile damage of Blast Arrow from 20 to 15, while the spell field damage will be increased from 25 to 32.
- Reduce the cooldown time for Crescent Slash from 15s to 12s.
- Increase bow draw speed during the duration of Hunter's Sight (Ultimate Ability) and raise damage multiplier from 1.2 to 1.35.
Hela
- The Damage Falloff of Nightsword Thorn at 30 meters will be changed from 70% to 80%.
Iron Fist
“Lin Lie will bring fresh techniques to the martial arts mix, enhancing his Yat Jee Chung Kuen with both fortitude and finesse.”
- Reduce the damage of Jeet Kune Do's 1st, 2nd, and 5th strikes from 32 to 30, while the 3rd and 4th strikes will deal 15 damage instead of 16. The final, devastating 6th strike has been dialed back from 55 to 50. The cooldown reduction for Dragon's Defense has been extended from 1s to 1.5s. The damage of each hit from Yat Jee Chung Kuen will take a hit, dropping from 19 to 10 flat damage (including during Living Chi). However, each strike from the Yat Jee Chung Kuen now delivers an extra blow, dealing damage equal to 1.7% of the opponent's maximum health (including during Living Chi).
- Increase the additional maximum health granted by Harmony Recovery from 50 to 150. A new decay mechanism for the extra health has also been introduced: one second after the ability ends, the additional health will deplete at a rate of 25 health per second.
- Increase the maximum Bonus Health converted from damage blocked during Dragon's Defense from 150 to 200.
- Increase base health from 250 to 300.
Iron Man
- Increase Unibeam damage from 120/s to 140/s.
- Increase Unibeam (Armor Overdrive) damage from 180/s to 190/s.
Magik
“The Queen of Limbo will see her damage capability be slightly reduced, but the energy cost to unleash her Ultimate Ability will be slightly lowered. It’s time to behold Darkchild!”
- Decrease the damage dealt by Demon's Rage (regular state) from 80/s to 72/s.
- Reduce the energy cost of Darkchild (ultimate ability) from 3,700 to 3,400.
Mister Fantastic
- Increase the spell field radius after landing from Flexible Elongation from 2.5 meters to 5 meters. Additionally, Flexible Elongation will now feature a knockback effect, launching enemies outward within the area upon landing. The recharge time for a single use of Flexible Elongation will be adjusted from 8s to 10s.
- Increase the damage of Brainiac Bounce (Ultimate Ability) spell from 50 to 70. Increase the energy cost from 2800 to 3400. Additionally, a new damage decay mechanism has been introduced: spell field damage will begin to decrease starting at 3 meters and will reach a maximum reduction of 50 at 10 meters.
Moon Knight
“The Hand of Khonshu will offer improved reaction times for foes and an optimized damage logic.”
- Reduced the Hand of Khonshu (Ultimate Ability) talons falling speed.
- Correct the damage trigger logic for Hand of Khonshu. The previous mechanism that dealt 75 damage when positioned at the center of the spell field has been removed. Increase the damage of each hit from 75 to 150.
Scarlet Witch
- Gain an additional 100 Bonus Health upon activating Reality Erasure (Ultimate Ability). After the ability ends or is interrupted, this Bonus Health will decay at a rate of 50/s.
Spider-Man
- Reduce Web-Cluster energize time from 3s to 2.5s.
Star-Lord
- Increase Rocket Propulsion's maximum energy from 1200 to 1800.
Storm
“We've toned down her tempest from long range and recalibrated her bonuses, offering less of a boost to herself but more to her allies in the eye of the storm.”
- The Damage Falloff of Wind Blade at 30 meters will be changed from 70% to 60%.
- Reduce Storm's damage increase from Thunder during Weather Control from 16% to 12%. However, the damage increase for allies within range has been increased from 8% to 10%.
- Reduce Storm's damage increase from Enhanced Thunder during Weather Control from 30% to 25%.
All Specialist Changes for Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2
Adam Warlock
“Adam's damage capability will be enhanced, along with a slight increase in healing ability after activating Soul Bond.”
- Increase the damage of Quantum Magic from 55 to 60. Additionally, the Damage Falloff at 40 meters will be changed from 50% to 60%.
- Increase the healing amount provided by Soul Bond to linked allies from 10/s to 15/s.
Cloak & Dagger
“Survivability and healing ability during the activation of their Ultimate Ability will be increased, while the frequency, duration, and intensity of the Ultimate Ability reduced. Additionally, Tyrone’s threat level will be enhanced.”
- Increase the energy cost to activate Eternal Bond (Ultimate Ability) from 3,400 to 4,000. The healing amount of each segment will be increased from 220/s to 250/s, the duraiton will be reduced from 10s to 8s, and the pause time between segments decrease from 1s to 0.67s. Now, the healing effect from each segment will not stack; when overlapping, only one healing effect is applied. Additionally, camera control is unlocked during the activation of Eternal Bond.
- Increase the Vulnerability inflicted on enemies by Terror Cape from 20% to 28%.
Invisible Woman
- Increase the energy cost of Invisible Boundary (Ultimate Ability) from 4,000 to 4,300.
Loki
“We're reducing the trickster god's Ultimate Ability frequency, while slightly enhancing his survivability.”
- Increase the energy cost of God of Mischief (ultimate ability) from 3,400 to 4,000.
- Increase Mystical Missile charges from 10 to 12.
Luna Snow
- Increase the energy cost to activate Fate of Both Worlds (Ultimate Ability) from 4,000 to 4,500.
Team-Up Ability Changes for Marvel Rivals Season 1 Part 2
Atlas Bond: Luna Snow
“We'll be enhancing the capability of Luna Snow's side of this Team-Up ability.”
- Increase the healing amount of Frozen Chi from 50 to 75, and the slow effect on enemies from 20% to 30%.
Dimensional Shortcut: Psylocke
“We're increasing the sustained combat capabilities of Black Panther and Psylocke.”
- Reduced the Rewind Time for Psionic Disc from 5s to 3s. Additionally, the conversion ratio of lost health to blue armor will be increased from 0.5 to 0.8.
- Reduced the Rewind Time for Wakandan Master from 5s to 3s. Additionally, the conversion ratio of lost health to blue armor will be increased from 0.5 to 0.8.
Gamma Charge: Hulk
“We're reducing the damage capability of Gamma Overdrive, and Hulk's benefits from the team-up.”
- Reduce Unibeam (Gamma Overdrive) damage from 220/s to 200/s.
- Reduce Hulk's Team-Up Anchor health bonus from 150 to 100.
Lunar Force: Cloak & Dagger
“We're enhancing Moon Knight's survivability after using the Team-Up Ability.”
- Full Moon New Effect: Continuously heal Moon Knight for 25 health per/s while within the effect area.
Symbiote Bond: Venom
“Peni Parker and Spider-Man will enjoy enhanced survivability thanks to Suit/Armor Expulsion enhancements.”
- Reduce Spider-Man's Suit Expulsion duration from 4s to 1s. Replace the 50% damage reduction effect with a new invincibility effect during the duration.
- Reduce Peni Parker's Armor Expulsion duration from 4s to 2s. Replace the 50% damage reduction effect with a new invincibility effect during the duration.
Marvel Rivals Season 1 Feb. 21 Patch New Heroes, Skins, and Maps
Marvel Rivals Season Part 2 will introduce Human Torch and The Thing to the game as playable characters on Feb. 21. Both heroes will have multiple alternate costumes available too.
For Human Torch, he will have his alternate First Family costume that swaps his colors to white on blue, a Blood Blaze skin as a reward for reaching Gold in ranked, and the Negative Zone Gladiator costume in the shop.
The Thing will have the same First Family costume and his classic trench coat look available.
The new Empire of the Eternal Night: Centralpark will also be added as a Convergence map.
Marvel Rivals Season 1 Feb. 21 Patch - Esports Impact
Not only does Marvel rivals Season 1 Part 2 add two new heroes to the game, including the first post-launch Vanguard, but every balance adjustment patch shifts the meta in a major way.
With all of the changes to the top Vanguards, Doctor Strange and Magneto, the developers are clearly trying to push players toward other options like Captain America and Venom without totally cutting off the reliable previous meta picks.
The biggest shift from this patch will be to the rising three Strategist meta that became a staple in the final weeks of Season 1 Part 1. Increasing the charge time on Ultimates for Luna, Loki, Sue, and Cloak & Dagger will reduce the number of fights multiple healing Ultimates will be used consecutively. Though, again, it does not completely remove the ability to run these comps at a high level.
Lead combat designer Zhiyong also confirmed that the team will be more proactive in monitoring pick rates and usage across all levels of play but the current balance schedule will remain in place with one slight change.
The team still plans to release a major balance patch at the start and mid-point of every season, meaning roughly every six weeks. Urgent issues will now be addressed with smaller, tailored adjustments that will help keep things “running smoothly” only when necessary.
