I've played Marvel Rivals almost every day since launch, and while I'm far from the best, most consistent player, I've hovered around the Grandmaster regions in competitive, peaking at Celestial 2. At times, trying to take Rivals seriously and play competitively has been an act of self-targeted psychic damage, largely because the hero balance has historically been absolutely terrible.
With Season 3 almost here, finally seeing Phoenix and the vampiric vampire hunter Blade join the roster, I was flabbergasted when I saw a reasonable selection of buffs and nerfs in the Season 3 patch notes. Though Spider-Man's buffs feel a little unwarranted, I'd say the right heroes are getting nerfed (yes, even my beloved Emma Frost), and weaker heroes are getting brought up. Another of my favourite tanks, The Thing, is even getting a new ability to swat flying heroes, giving Vanguard some much-needed anti-air capabilities.
