Marvel Rivals Patch

Version 20260417 Balance

Version 2026.04.14 · Who won the patch?

Data Reliability

Verified Data

Parser reliability check passed. Hero distribution looks healthy — competitive intelligence data is trustworthy.

Buffs

15

Nerfs

15

Top Winner

Ultron

Changes

37

Patch Prediction Summary

Ultron leads the patch, but several roles shifted.

VANGUARDs gained the most from this balance patch. 15 buffs, 15 nerfs across 11 heroes.

15 Buffs
15 Nerfs
Net -5.5
Meta Context

Best Picks by Role

VANGUARD

Vanguard

Role Winner

7B / 4N · Net +10.0

Best Pick

Emma Frost

Needs Caution

Peni Parker
STRATEGIST

Strategist

Mixed Role

4B / 4N · Net +2.0

Best Pick

Ultron

Needs Caution

Jeff the Land Shark
DUELIST

Duelist

Role Loser

4B / 7N · Net -17.5

Best Pick

Human Torch

Needs Caution

Deadpool

Meta context sourced from marvelrivals.gg. BuffTracker recommendation is derived.

View meta source

Who Won The Patch?

Emma Frost won the patch.

Emma Frost received the strongest positive impact in this patch with Relevant Buff (+5). This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Role Impact

Which role changed most?

Vanguard came out strongest this patch. Duelist lost the most ground.

Vanguard

Vanguard

+12net impact

12 changes · avg +1

Strategist

Strategist

-3net impact

12 changes · avg -0.2

Duelist

Duelist

-13net impact

13 changes · avg -1

Patch Notes

All Patch Changes

Every hero change in this patch with player-focused verdicts.

Emma Frost

Emma Frost

VanguardVanguardULTIMATE

Reduce the energy cost of Psionic Seduction (Ultimate Ability) from 3400 to 3100.

This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Relevant Buff · +5Recommended
Deadpool

Deadpool

DuelistDuelistULTIMATE

We're slightly dialing back Vanguard-pool's burst damage and the survivability gains from his gun-form Ultimate. Gotta keep things fair, even for the Merc with a Mouth!

This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Relevant Buff · +4Recommended
Captain America

Captain America

VanguardVanguardDAMAGE

As the Team-Up Anchor, Black Cat gains a 5% boost in damage output.

This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Relevant Buff · +4Recommended
Peni Parker

Peni Parker

VanguardVanguardHEALTH

Increase Bonus Health cap provided to Peni by Cyber-Webs from 150 to 200.

This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Relevant Buff · +4Recommended
Peni Parker

Peni Parker

VanguardVanguardDAMAGE

Zhiyong Note: When all pellets hit, damage against a 275 HP hero drops from 81.5 (13*5+275*6%) to 76; against a 700 HP hero, it drops from 107 (13*5+700*6%) to 93.

This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Relevant Buff · +4Recommended
Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier

DuelistDuelistDAMAGE

Increase Roterstern Projectile Damage from 75 to 80

This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Relevant Buff · +4Recommended
Luna Snow

Luna Snow

StrategistStrategistHEALING

Increase Light & Dark Ice damage and healing from 22 to 24.

This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Relevant Buff · +4Recommended
Ultron

Ultron

StrategistStrategistDAMAGE

Increase the Drones' Encephalo-Rays Damage from 8 to 12.

This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Relevant Buff · +4Recommended
Ultron

Ultron

StrategistStrategistHEALING

Increase healing effect on allies from 25 to 40.

This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Relevant Buff · +4Recommended
Emma Frost

Emma Frost

VanguardVanguardULTIMATE

We're slightly lowering the energy cost of the White Queen's Ultimate to boost her suppression power on the battlefield. Time to shine, darling!

This hero received meaningful improvements and should feel noticeably stronger.

Relevant Buff · +4Recommended
Peni Parker

Peni Parker

VanguardVanguardMOBILITY

Increase Cyber-Web Cluster Projectile Speed from 120m/s to 150m/s.

This hero received a small improvement, but the overall impact is limited.

Minor Buff · +3Situational Upgrade
Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier

DuelistDuelistCOOLDOWN

Reduce Cooldown from 12s to 10s.

This hero received a small improvement, but the overall impact is limited.

Minor Buff · +3Situational Upgrade
Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier

DuelistDuelistABILITY

Increase Kraken Impact Culling Threshold from 15% to 20%.

This hero received a small improvement, but the overall impact is limited.

Minor Buff · +3Situational Upgrade
Adam Warlock

Adam Warlock

StrategistStrategistCOOLDOWN

Increase Cosmic Cluster cooldown reduction provided to Avatar Life Stream per hit on an enemy from 0.3s to 0.4s.

This hero received a small improvement, but the overall impact is limited.

Minor Buff · +3Situational Upgrade
Peni Parker

Peni Parker

VanguardVanguardABILITY

Increase the maximum number of Cyber-Webs that can exist simultaneously on the field from 3 to 4.

This hero received a small improvement, but the overall impact is limited.

Minor Buff · +3Situational Upgrade
Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier

DuelistDuelistDAMAGE

Bucky had a bit too much CC, which caused some serious frustration for enemies, especially when facing dive Vanguards, Duelists, or anchor Vanguards. He felt more like a "bodyguard" than a lethal operative. We're reducing his CC capabilities and slightly buffing his frontal damage output to enrich h

This hero was not meaningfully changed in this patch.

Neutral · 0No Priority Change
Ultron

Ultron

StrategistStrategistHEALING

(Damage and healing effects on targets within the original 3m radius remain roughly the same).

This hero was not meaningfully changed in this patch.

Neutral · 0No Priority Change
Ultron

Ultron

StrategistStrategistSHIELD

New Spell Field Damage Falloff: Starts at 1.5m after Encephalo-Rays explode, with a max falloff to 50% at 3m.

This hero was not meaningfully changed in this patch.

Neutral · 0No Priority Change
Jeff the Land Shark

Jeff the Land Shark

StrategistStrategistDAMAGE

Joyful Splash damage falloff now starts at 15m (was 20m) and damage drops to 60% of base at 30m (was 65% at 40m).

This hero was not meaningfully changed in this patch.

Neutral · 0No Priority Change
Ultron

Ultron

StrategistStrategistULTIMATE

We've adjusted the logic of Ultron's Ultimate. The four Ultron Drones surrounding Ultron will no longer shoot directly at the crosshair target; instead, they will bombard the area around the target. The bombardment area matches Ultron's, but with slightly lower values. With this adjustment, the cove

This hero was not meaningfully changed in this patch.

Neutral · 0No Priority Change
Captain America

Captain America

VanguardVanguardULTIMATE

What do you get when you cross a master thief, a mystical Kumiho, and the First Avenger? The ultimate heist crew!

This hero was not meaningfully changed in this patch.

Neutral · 0No Priority Change
Human Torch

Human Torch

DuelistDuelistCOOLDOWN

Plasma Body Mechanic Adjusted: Upon casting, he immediately dashes a short distance (10m) in the direction of movement and enters the Plasma Body state for 4s. This ability now has 2 charges, with a 10s recharge time per charge. There is a 4s cooldown between consecutive casts.

This hero was not meaningfully changed in this patch.

Neutral · 0No Priority Change
Deadpool

Deadpool

DuelistDuelistMOBILITY

Reduce bonus Attack Speed provided by Deadpool in Your Area - Vanguard to Dual Desert Eagles - Vanguard from 60% to 40%.

This hero received a small nerf, but should remain mostly playable.

Minor Nerf · -3Still Playable
Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier

DuelistDuelistABILITY

Reduce Tainted Voltage single charge energize time from 6s to 5s.

This hero received a small nerf, but should remain mostly playable.

Minor Nerf · -3Still Playable
Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier

DuelistDuelistCOOLDOWN

Increase Bionic Hook cooldown from 12s to 15s.

This hero received a small nerf, but should remain mostly playable.

Minor Nerf · -3Still Playable
Peni Parker

Peni Parker

VanguardVanguardCOOLDOWN

Increase Helix Advance cooldown from 8s to 10s. (Cooldown at max passive stacks from 2s to 4s).

This hero received a small nerf, but should remain mostly playable.

Minor Nerf · -3Still Playable
Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier

DuelistDuelistDAMAGE

Reduce base damage from 80 to 70.

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -4Proceed With Caution
Peni Parker

Peni Parker

VanguardVanguardHEALTH

Reduce base health from 700 to 650.

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -4Proceed With Caution
Jeff the Land Shark

Jeff the Land Shark

StrategistStrategistHEALING

Reduce healing efficiency from 70/s to 60/s

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -4Proceed With Caution
Peni Parker

Peni Parker

VanguardVanguardDAMAGE

Reduce Monster-Piercer percentage damage per pellet from 1.2% to 0.8%.

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -4Proceed With Caution
Jeff the Land Shark

Jeff the Land Shark

StrategistStrategistHEALING

Reduce excess healing converted to Bonus Health from 100 to 50.

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -4Proceed With Caution
Peni Parker

Peni Parker

VanguardVanguardDAMAGE

Reduce total percentage damage when all 5 pellets hit from 6% to 4%.

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -4Proceed With Caution
Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier

DuelistDuelistSHIELD

Decrease Spell Field Damage from 55 to 45.

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -4Proceed With Caution
Deadpool

Deadpool

DuelistDuelistULTIMATE

Reduce The Ban Hammer (Gun Form Ultimate Ability) damage dealt per hammer hit from 45 to 35.

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -5Proceed With Caution
Cloak & Dagger

Cloak & Dagger

StrategistStrategistULTIMATE

Reduce Eternal Bond (Ultimate Ability) duration from 13s to 11s.

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -5Proceed With Caution
Jeff the Land Shark

Jeff the Land Shark

StrategistStrategistULTIMATE

Reduce It's Jeff! (Ultimate Ability) recovery time when failing to swallow any targets from 1s to 0.4s.

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -5Proceed With Caution
Deadpool

Deadpool

DuelistDuelistULTIMATE

Reduce The Ban Hammer (Gun Form Ultimate Ability) Bonus Health gained per hammer hit from 80 to 60 (standard) and from 80 to 70 (upgraded).

This hero was meaningfully weakened and may feel worse after the patch.

Relevant Nerf · -5Proceed With Caution