What's New in the First Season?
The first season of *Marvel Rivals* brings an exciting undead invasion theme, spearheaded by none other than Dracula. To counter this dark force, the iconic Fantastic Four have stepped into the battle. Currently, two members of the team are available, with more to join as the season unfolds.
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New Heroes
This season introduces two new heroes from the Fantastic Four, each bringing unique abilities to the fray:
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- Mister Fantastic: A versatile duelist who excels at medium range. His abilities allow him to swiftly maneuver between enemies and allies, deal area damage, and temporarily absorb incoming damage.
- Invisible Woman: A strategic support hero whose attacks heal allies on impact. She can create protective shields, manipulate enemy positions, and, as her name suggests, turn invisible to surprise her foes.
New Maps and Mode
Explore the new "Empire of Eternal Night: Midtown" map, where you can battle in iconic locations like Grand Central Terminal within a devastated New York City.
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Dive into the "Doom Match" game mode, designed for 8-12 players. Victory is achieved when the top 50% of players reach a specified number of knockouts.
Battle Pass
The first season's Battle Pass is significantly larger than the zero season's, offering double the content. With the season lasting three months, you'll have plenty of time to unlock 10 new skins, 8 of which are exclusive to the premium version. While most skins are visually stunning, the Blue Tarantula skin for Peni Parker might disappoint due to its minimal changes from the default outfit. As always, completing tasks from the free Battle Pass will earn you valuable Units and Lattice.
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Celestial Rank
A new rank, "Celestial," has been added between "Grandmaster" and "Eternity," divided into three divisions. While reaching this rank may be challenging for most players, it offers a fresh goal for competitive players. Additionally, the season reset means your starting rank in the first season will be seven levels below your final rank in the zero season. For example, ending at Platinum I in the zero season will place you at Silver II to start the new season.
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What Are the Balance Adjustments for Heroes?
The first season of *Marvel Rivals* includes a series of balance adjustments to refine gameplay and hero dynamics.
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Vanguard
- Captain America: Enhanced to address his weaker tank status with reduced cooldowns and increased health.
- Doctor Strange: Adjusted to balance his damage and shield recovery.
- Thor: Boosted with increased health and crowd-control immunity during his ultimate.
- Hulk: Slightly nerfed with a reduced gamma Shield health.
- Venom: Buffed to increase his armor and ultimate ability damage.
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Duelist
- Black Panther: Reduced extra health from Spirit Rend and maximum additional health.
- Black Widow: Improved with increased radius and reduced cooldowns for better defense and ultimate power.
- Hawkeye: Slightly nerfed with changes to his explosive arrows and passive ability.
- Hela: Health reduced, but remains a top DPS hero. New Twitch Drops offer a skin and rewards for Hela.
- Magik: Increased damage in Darkchild form.
- Moon Knight: Enhanced with more talons and a larger blast radius.
- Namor: Adjusted for better accuracy in throws.
- The Punisher: Reduced spread for his abilities.
- Scarlet Witch: Enhanced damage output and adjustments to her abilities.
- Storm: Strengthened with faster and more damaging projectiles, increased ultimate health.
- Squirrel Girl: Changes to make her abilities more predictable and less durable.
- Winter Soldier: Health and damage adjustments to improve survivability.
- Wolverine: Increased health and adjusted damage reduction for better tank performance.
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Strategist
- Cloak & Dagger: Improved mobility and reduced cooldowns for Dagger Storm.
- Jeff the Land Shark: Adjusted ultimate range and increased healing from Joyful Splash.
- Luna Snow: Slight nerf with a longer break during mode change in her dance.
- Mantis: Reduced acceleration from Nature's Favor.
- Rocket Raccoon: Increased healing speed in recovery mode.
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Team-Up
Adjustments to Team-Up benefits include:
- Hawkeye and Hela: Reduced season bonus.
- Namor, Rocket Raccoon, Magneto, and Storm: Enhanced abilities for better performance in team play.
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These balance adjustments are subtle yet impactful, potentially shifting the meta. While Hela remains a dominant force at higher ranks, the new heroes from the Fantastic Four may introduce fresh strategies and dynamics to the game.
