By now, many of us Marvel Rivals players have grown used to the update cycle: two new heroes launch, some patch notes set the fanbase on fire for a few days, and it’s rinse and repeat. Now, frankly, I’ve never had an issue with that. I still love Marvel Rivals and log into it daily for some quick matches with my friends. However, there are times when the game feels a bit stale, but that might not be the case anymore. Besides the usual additions coming to Season 9, Marvel Rivals has made one of its biggest overhauls to the team-up system, which will make this hero-shooter feel like a brand-new game.
The Overhauls and Reworks We Needed
Now, while I normally focus first on the new hero, Season 9 of Marvel Rivals is introducing a team-up overhaul, which sort of eclipses our new Strategist, but I’ll get back on that in a bit.
First, let’s talk about the team-ups: gone are the days of some restrictive hero team-ups, with some of them feeling a bit unbalanced, out of place, or meta-specific. Now, every single character will have two team-ups, both of which have a normal and enhanced effect.
Basically, the team-up will always be active in its normal state, regardless of whether the other character is in the team or not. It will become enhanced if the hero is on your team, and this version will give your character a bigger buff or effect. To illustrate the example, I’ll use Rogue’s team-up with Gambit. The Mr. X & Mrs. X team-up would let Rogue infuse her punches with energy for a while, and the ability would run on a cooldown. With the overhaul, Rogue will always have that effect on a cooldown, whether Gambit is on the team or not. Yet, if our charming Strategist is on the team, Rogue will have that ability active at all times.
The great thing is that this is only her first option, as she now has another option with Magneto, opening up new build possibilities, which is what really excites me about Season 9. See, in the past, the thought of “character builds” never crossed my mind for Marvel Rivals, but now, that seems like a possibility, as each hero will play differently depending on the team-up you equip. One perfect example is Black Cat. Do you want her to have more survivability? Team her up with Black Panther. Do you want more crowd control? Bring the reliable and friendly neighbor Spider-Man.
Of course, this new system comes with the usual worries, which I feel will be justified, especially when the season kicks in, as balance will be all over the place. After trying all team-ups, I can already see a few that will be too OP, and some that will feel weak. Cloak and Dagger’s new invulnerability ability will make some Ultimates obsolete when attacking them. Magik’s team-up with Dr. Strange still feels a bit niche and too powerful compared to others. So, yes, we should all brace for a new meta and some interesting hero match-ups.
Still, I’m extremely excited because Marvel Rivals Season 9 will encourage many of us to re-learn the game, which is what I feel every live service title needs to remain fresh. While Marvel Rivals still feels relevant and engaging to play every time I log in, this overhaul changes one core mechanic for the better and opens many doors for new combinations, meta, and team comps. In my opinion, that’s an excellent approach to a hero shooter, and one that feels accessible for casual players who don’t want to worry much about the best team-up, and perfect for ranked players who will want to find better combinations for those high-stakes matches.
Team-ups aside, we also have a new Strategist joining the roster: Jubilee. This highly requested Mutant brings the power of healing fireworks and crowd-controlling explosions to make her a highly versatile addition to the Strategist roster. After trying her for a while in a few matches, I really enjoyed her kit, as it isn’t as bloated as Deadpool’s or Black Cat’s, yet offers that high skill ceiling we all love from the game.
For instance, her normal attack is excellent for burst healing, while her secondary ability, which shoots up an orb that explodes to do damage or heal, is great for team fights. Her other abilities felt a bit more situational, as some can even blind or push enemies away, so I feel Jubilee will be great for those clutch situations when you need to open a path for your other teammates to enter the fight. Yet, just like any other new character, I foresee a few nerfs for Season 9.5, especially with some of her team-ups and her ultimate ability.
Lastly, the most controversial character of the game, Black Widow, is an entirely new character. She moves away from her sniper archetype into a more mid-range one, with her primary skill increasing her firing speed and being only able to enter “sniper mode” during her ultimate. Now, this has already caused some controversy, but as someone who’s been using her as a primary duelist for three seasons now, I love the changes. Marvel Rivals is way too chaotic at times, so I feel the sniper archetype isn’t so great for the game, so I’m glad about this rework.
Keeping the Flame Alive
While I’m always excited for any new season in Marvel Rivals, Season 9 is a one-of-a-kind update so far, which will overhaul one of the weakest aspects of the game. How great will it be? Well, we’ll all have to wait until it goes live, as it will surely bring a few controversial additions and meta problems. Still, despite all of that, I can’t wait to get my mains out for a proper match and see which one of their team-ups performs best. And besides that, we have an excellent new Strategist joining the ranks, who, even if she feels a bit eclipsed by the bigger update, is one hero who just keeps showing that NetEase continues improving its character kit designs.
