
NetEase Games' January balance adjustments to Marvel Rivals significantly impacted hero popularity, particularly boosting underplayed characters like Storm and Black Widow as Season 1 commenced.
Storm's buffs resulted in a meteoric rise in her win rate and pick rate. Rivals Meta now ranks her number one in win rate, a stark contrast to her previous obscurity. In competitive play, her win percentage surpasses 56%, and her pick rate has soared to 16%, eclipsing heroes like Adam Warlock, Jeff, Spider-Man, Hela, Hulk, Magik, and Iron Man.
While Storm's popularity exploded, Cloak and Dagger remain the most popular character pairing, albeit with a win percentage dipping below 49%. Black Widow, however, continues to struggle, remaining the least picked and least successful character.
Marvel Rivals is experiencing substantial growth, boasting hundreds of thousands of players in its competitive mode. The Grandmaster title, achieved by only 0.1% of players, remains an exclusive accomplishment, despite the existence of the Celestial rank.
One player achieved an extraordinary feat during Season 1: reaching Grandmaster rank without suffering any damage across 108 games! This player, utilizing Rocket Raccoon, focused solely on supporting teammates, achieving over 2.9 million health points restored and nearly 3,500 assists, all while avoiding any knockouts.