NetEase Games overhauled the hero balance in Marvel Rivals' Season 1, significantly buffing underplayed characters like Storm and Black Widow to enhance gameplay and boost their popularity.

Storm's buffs have dramatically increased her effectiveness and popularity. Rivals Meta now ranks her as the top hero by win rate, a stark contrast to her previous obscurity. In competitive play, her win rate surpasses 56%, and her pick rate has soared to 16%, a remarkable climb from near zero. She now outperforms established favorites like Adam Warlock, Jeff, Spider-Man, Hela, Hulk, Magic, and Iron Man.

While Cloak and Dagger remain the most popular duo, their win rate has dipped below 49%. Black Widow, however, continues to be the least popular and least successful character.

Marvel Rivals is experiencing considerable growth, with hundreds of thousands of players participating in competitive modes. The Grandmaster title remains an exclusive achievement, attainable by only 0.1% of players, 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 healing teammates, restoring over 2.9 million health points and accumulating nearly 3,500 assists while avoiding any knockouts.