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Marvel Rivals Season 5 Balance Changes: All Launch and Season 5.5 Buffs and Nerfs

A complete breakdown of Marvel Rivals Season 5 launch and Season 5.5 balance changes, organized by update wave, role, hero and team-up.
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Marvel Rivals Season 5 balance changes arrived in two waves: the Version 20251114 launch update and the Version 20251212 Season 5.5 update. The official notes cover hero ability changes as well as team-up additions, removals and bonus adjustments. This guide lists both waves separately; the published numbers describe patch parameters, not measured changes to win rates, pick rates or the overall meta.

Season 5 launch balance changes: Version 20251114

The launch balance post was published November 12, 2025. The Season 5 update began November 14, 2025, at 09:00 UTC; the patch notes estimated two hours of maintenance.

Vanguards

Hero Changes
Angela Assassin’s Charge dash speed increased from 16 m/s to 18 m/s. Heven’s Retribution spear health increased from 600 to 800.
Captain America Freedom Charge gained an effect: allies in its path receive a 30% boost to Ultimate Energy charge efficiency.
Groot Ironwood Wall gained an effect: Groot becomes Unstoppable within 15 m of Awakened Ironwood Walls.
Hulk Each direct Gamma Burst hit reduces Indestructible Guard’s cooldown by 1 second.
Magneto Metal Bulwark and Iron Bulwark cooldowns were separated, so using one no longer puts the other on cooldown. Both shield values decreased from 250 to 200.
Peni Parker Allies inside her Cyber-Webs now receive her healing-over-time and movement-boost effects: 15 healing per second and a 25% movement boost. Excess healing on allies converts to Bonus Health, capped at 25.
The Thing Embattled Leap no longer gives its single target damage reduction; it now gives allies within 5 m of the landing point 20% damage reduction. The Thing’s own damage reduction decreased from 25% to 20%. Battle Blitz removed his self damage reduction and instead applies 20% vulnerability to enemies within 5 m of the landing point. Stone Haymaker’s base damage decreased from 90 to 55, and its 50 Bonus Health during activation was removed. It now deals bonus damage equal to 8% of an enemy’s maximum health per hit and grants Bonus Health equal to damage dealt, up to 100.

Duelists

Hero Changes
Hawkeye Archer’s Focus maximum Bonus Damage increased from 75 to 90.
Mister Fantastic Reflexive Rubber can now be used during Inflated after reaching 100 Elasticity. The 350 Bonus Health gained on entering Inflated was replaced with 350 Maximum Health and a one-time 350 heal; both are removed when Inflated ends.
Phoenix Cosmic Flames maximum falloff at 30 m changed from 60% to 75%.
Spider-Man Web-Cluster energize time decreased from 2.5 seconds to 2 seconds. Amazing Combo damage increased from 60 to 70.
Squirrel Girl Burst Acorn damage increased from 100 to 110.
Storm Weather Control – Thunder’s ally damage boost increased from 10% to 12%; Goddess Boost – Thunder’s ally damage boost increased from 12% to 15%.
The Punisher Base health increased from 275 to 300. Adjudication maximum falloff at 40 m changed from 70% to 85%. Deliverance pellets per round increased from 14 to 16.
Wolverine Savage Claw and Vicious Rampage percentage damage per Rage point increased from 0.045% to 0.057%. Feral Leap cooldown decreased from 15 seconds to 12 seconds.

Strategists

Hero Changes
Adam Warlock Soul flight speed increased from 6 m/s to 12 m/s. Karmic Revival energy cost decreased from 4,700 to 4,500, and its ally detection radius increased from 30 m to 35 m.
Cloak & Dagger Base health increased from 250 to 275.
Invisible Woman Orb Projection hit damage increased from 25 to 30, maximum projectile range from 30 m to 35 m, and projectile speed from 120 m/s to 150 m/s. Force Physics length increased from 30 m to 35 m. Guardian Shield gained a recall-key effect: if no Guardian Shield is present, pressing the key deploys a shield in front of Invisible Woman.
Loki Base health increased from 250 to 275. Mystical Missile damage falloff at 3 m changed from 50% to 80%. Direct hits on allies now heal them for an additional 10 health.
Rocket Raccoon B.R.B. cooldown decreased from 45 seconds to 40 seconds. Repair Mode’s maximum count increased from 5 to 7 and its projectile speed from 60 m/s to 80 m/s. Bombard Mode projectile speed increased from 150 m/s to 180 m/s.

Launch team-up changes

These team-up adjustments are separate from the hero ability changes above. New or changed team-up abilities and bonuses included:

  • Blade of Khonshu (Moon Knight–Blade): Moon Knight, the Team-Up Anchor, gains 5% damage; Blade gains Eclipse Edge.
  • Explosive Entanglement (Gambit–Magneto): Gambit, the Team-Up Anchor, gains 5% healing; Magneto receives Royal Blade.
  • Sword of Duality (Cloak & Dagger–Hawkeye): Hawkeye unlocks Moonlit Slash.
  • Primal Flame (Phoenix–Wolverine/Black Widow): Black Widow gains Phoenix Sniper through the Phoenix team-up.

Other launch team-up changes removed abilities or bonuses:

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  • Chilling Assault (Luna Snow–Hawkeye/Iron Fist): Hawkeye no longer gets Ice Arrow from the Luna Snow team-up.
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Season 5.5 balance changes: Version 20251212

The Season 5.5 balance post was published December 9, 2025. Its update began December 12, 2025, at 09:00 UTC; the patch notes estimated two hours of maintenance.

Vanguards

Hero Changes
Emma Frost Base health increased from 550 to 600, while the 100 Bonus Health from her removed Team-Up Anchor status was removed.
Peni Parker Base health decreased from 750 to 700.
The Thing Stone Haymaker bonus damage based on enemy maximum health increased from 8% to 10% per hit. The lingering anti-mobility field after Yancy Street Charge lasts 5 seconds instead of 3.
Thor Storm Surge can now be steered freely while dashing, including in any direction.

Duelists

Hero Changes
Blade Ancestral Sword single-hit damage increased from 24 to 26; Whirlwind Slash single-hit damage increased from 15 to 16. Bloodline Awakening’s reduced-healing amount decreased from 35% to 25%.
Daredevil Lost the 25 Bonus Health previously granted for being a Team-Up Anchor.
Human Torch Fire Cluster spread was slightly reduced; single-cast projectile damage increased from 5 to 5.5. Its maximum falloff value remains 60%, but now applies at 20 m instead of 30 m. Blazing Blast single-charge time decreased from 3 seconds to 2.5 seconds, and hit damage increased from 40 to 45.
Phoenix Phoenix summon health during Endsong Inferno increased from 400 to 500.
Psylocke Dance of the Butterfly ultimate energy cost increased from 2,800 to 3,400.
Scarlet Witch Chthonian Burst charge from Chaos Control hits increased from 0.08 to 0.1. Dark Seal projectile speed increased from 40 m/s to 60 m/s, and the delay before it generates a Spell Field was removed. Reality Erasure enemy pull speed during its cast increased from 2.4 m/s to 3 m/s.
The Punisher Adjudication damage per hit increased from 19 to 20.
Wolverine Last Stand can now target walls as its landing point.

Strategists

Hero Changes
Gambit Ragin’ Royal Flush ultimate energy cost increased from 4,300 to 4,500.
Invisible Woman Invisible Boundary ultimate energy cost increased from 4,300 to 4,500.
Loki The damage and healing ratio of Loki’s Doppelgängers increased from 80% to 90%.
Luna Snow Absolute Zero startup time decreased and projectile speed increased from 60 m/s to 80 m/s. Luna can now apply Number One Idol to herself, separately from Share the Stage. While active, 10% of healing to allies converts to healing for Luna, and she gains a 10% healing boost and 10% damage boost.
Rocket Raccoon C.Y.A. ultimate energy cost increased from 4,000 to 4,300.
Ultron Imperative: Patch can deploy up to two drones, allowing it to support two allies at once. Imperative: Firewall now requires a target with Imperative: Patch. After use, Ultron gains 65 Bonus Health; the target and nearby allies gain 50 Bonus Health; and the selected ally gains 20% movement speed and 10% damage. Rage of Ultron ultimate energy cost increased from 3,700 to 4,000.

Season 5.5 team-up changes

  • Chilling Assault (Luna Snow–Iron Fist/Emma Frost): Emma Frost unlocks Iced Out Diamond through the Luna Snow team-up.
  • Explosive Entanglement (Gambit–Magneto/Rogue): Rogue receives Hearts As One through her team-up with Gambit.
  • Mental Projection (Emma Frost–Psylocke): The team-up was removed; Emma Frost lost the 100 Health Bonus previously granted as Team-Up Anchor.
  • Sword of Duality (Cloak & Dagger–Hawkeye/Psylocke): Psylocke unlocks Light & Dark Darts through the Cloak & Dagger team-up.
  • Bestial Hunt (Daredevil–The Punisher): Daredevil lost the 25 Health Bonus from being Team-Up Anchor.
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What the patch notes do—and do not—establish

The official notes document intended ability parameters and team-up mechanics. They do not report whether those changes improved a hero’s performance or shifted the meta, so a higher damage value or lower cooldown should not be read as proof of a stronger overall pick. Likewise, increased ultimate energy costs and removed health or team-up bonuses are reductions even when a character received other changes in the same update.

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