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.
- Lunar Force (Cloak & Dagger–Moon Knight/Blade): The team-up was removed.
- Mental Projection (Emma Frost–Psylocke/Magneto): Magneto no longer gets Magnetic Resonance from the Emma Frost team-up.
- Operation: Microchip (The Punisher–Black Widow): The team-up was removed, along with The Punisher’s Team-Up Anchor bonus.
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.
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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The official Season 5 patch notes also state: “ALL HEROES UNLOCKED AND FREE TO PLAY AT LAUNCH AND BEYOND!” The post does not attribute that statement to a named individual.
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