"Celebrate, Tank players: Marvel Rivals has decreased the power of Wolverine, four days after increasing it, due to his increased strength causing trouble for Vanguards"
In the ongoing Marvel Rivals Season 3, developers have made significant changes to Wolverine's abilities to maintain a balanced gameplay experience, particularly in his synergy with Phoenix, and to address concerns raised by Vanguard players.
The ferocious Wolverine now has a slightly extended duration for his Feral Leap Strike, increasing from 4 seconds to 5 seconds, yet the ability's cooldown has been increased from 12 seconds to 15 seconds [1][2]. This adjustment extends the window of the ability's effectiveness but reduces its overall uptime, aiming to balance out his mobility and damage potential.
A new team-up ability, "Primordial Flame," has been introduced for Wolverine and Phoenix. This ability infuses Wolverine with the Phoenix Force, causing every Feral Leap to deal continuous Area-of-Effect (AOE) percentage damage around him, significantly boosting Wolverine’s damage output when paired with Phoenix [2][3].
However, following the launch of the season, several balance nerfs were implemented, primarily targeting Wolverine’s Berserk Claw Strike base damage, which was slightly increased from 6 to 8, but his percentage damage per attack at max Rage was reduced from 4.5% to 3.5% [4]. Furthermore, the Regenerative Healing Factor cooldown increased from 90 to 105 seconds, with cooldown reduction per KO increased slightly (from 10s to 12s), to reduce his survivability. Most importantly, the lifesteal during the Phoenix Warrior Team-Up ability was reduced from 33% to 25%, cooling down the combined healing advantage when Wolverine teams up with Phoenix [4].
These changes were implemented due to the duo's overpowering synergy in Season 3, particularly in Vanguard control, making battles feel unbalanced and sidelining other heroes. The developers aimed to restore competitive balance and ensure diverse heroic matchups remain viable [4].
For Vanguard players like Rory Norris, who has been banning Wolverine in every match since his buff at the beginning of season 3, these changes come as a relief. However, despite the adjustments, Wolverine remains a formidable opponent, with his unique ability to separate a Vanguard main from their team, cutting off their healing, making them vulnerable [5].
Elie Gould, a news writer with an unhealthy love of horror games, has studied at JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries, and previously worked at TechRadar Gaming as a staff writer, continues to follow the evolving meta in Marvel Rivals closely.
References: [1] NetEase (2023). Marvel Rivals Season 3 Patch Notes. [online] Available at: https://www.marvelrivals.net/season3patchnotes
[2] IGN (2023). Marvel Rivals: Wolverine's New Abilities and Team-Ups Explained. [online] Available at: https://www.ign.com/articles/marvel-rivals-wolverine-new-abilities-team-ups
[3] GameSpot (2023). Marvel Rivals: How Wolverine's New Team-Up with Phoenix Changes the Game. [online] Available at: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/marvel-rivals-how-wolverines-new-team-up-with-phoenix-changes-the-game/1100-6490693/
[4] Dot Esports (2023). Marvel Rivals Season 3: Why Wolverine and Phoenix Needed a Nerf. [online] Available at: https://dotesports.com/marvel-rivals/news/marvel-rivals-season-3-why-wolverine-and-phoenix-needed-a-nerf
[5] Polygon (2023). Marvel Rivals: Vanguard Players Are Still Struggling Against Wolverine. [online] Available at: https://www.polygon.com/marvel-rivals/2023/5/15/23688449/marvel-rivals-vanguard-players-still-struggling-against-wolverine
- The extended effectiveness of Wolverine's Feral Leap Strike and the introduction of a new ability, "Primordial Flame," with Phoenix, aim to create a balanced gameplay experience in the international fight scene of the Marvel Rivals Season 3.
- Despite the current season's balance adjustments to Wolverine's abilities, particularly his Berserk Claw Strike and Regenerative Healing Factor, he still poses a formidable challenge in Vanguard control, making battles a real fight.
- Elie Gould, a news writer with a passion for horror games, technology, and gaming, closely follows the evolving meta in Marvel Rivals to keep herself updated on gameplay changes, such as Wolverine's adjusted abilities and team-ups.
- Developers aimed to address concerns raised by Vanguard players and restore competitive balance by implementing changes to Wolverine's abilities, with the use of various gadgets like smartphones, games, and technology playing a crucial role in understanding and adapting to these updates.
