The new Marvel Rivals midseason is right around the corner and it brings a new tank with it.
This midseason promises not only a new tank, but also new team-ups, a new game mode, and several balance changes.
Rogue, Jeffland, and Winter Action: What Season 5.5 Has in Store
In the new Dev Vision for Season 5.5, Guangguang has once again revealed the roadmap for the upcoming midseason. Among the highlights is, of course, the new character Rogue. Many had previously speculated that, like Gambit, she would be a Strategist, but she has now been announced as a Vanguard.
She carries her signature ability to absorb the skills of other characters and use them herself. For example, she can take on Emma Frost’s diamond form or Psylocke’s invisibility. This already makes her look like one of the most adaptable tanks in the game. Her attacks also appear heavily melee-focused, and her ultimate reduces her opponents’ ultimate charge. How she will ultimately play is something we’ll find out when she releases on December 12.
Of course, a new midseason wouldn’t be complete without a new mode and a batch of fresh skins fitting the holiday theme. Jeff’s Winter Splash Festival is returning, this time on the new map Jeffland. The new festive skins include ones for Bucky, Star-Lord, and Cloak & Dagger. The holiday events will kick off with the update on December 18.
Team-Ups, Buffs & Nerfs: The Most Important Changes in Season 5.5
A new midseason also brings new adjustments to team-ups and overall balance. The old team-up between Emma Frost and Psylocke has been dissolved, and both are now joining new partners. Emma Frost is now teamed up with Luna Snow and Iron Fist, granting her the ability to create a wall that further limits enemy movement. Naturally, she can also use that wall to slam enemies into it after her choke. As a Star-Lord main, I shed a small tear when I saw that.
Cloak & Dagger serve as the new anchor for Psylocke’s team-up. Through it, Psylocke gains a shuriken that can heal her, as well as an additional way to turn invisible with her new ability. Rogue joins the team-up of Gambit and Magneto. This charges her punches with energy that heals nearby allies and damages enemies.
There are also several interesting balance changes. Blade receives three buffs to his sword form, Daredevil loses some health (support mains, don’t get your hopes up – this character will remain your nightmare!), and Thor can now change direction during his dash. And of course, the developers couldn’t resist buffing Luna Snow again after the one season in which she wasn’t the strongest support. In the patch notes, they even added the following comment behind her changes:
"She's never beating the allegations, is she?"
This refers to the long-running joke within the community that Luna must be one of the developers’ absolute favorite characters, since she has been a constant part of the meta ever since the game launched a year ago. With the new season, she gains an additional ability that allows her to heal herself while increasing both her healing and damage output. So it’s looking very likely that Luna will once again be among the top supports this season.
A welcome nerf for many players will be the increased ultimate cost for several characters. Heroes like Gambit, Invisible Woman, and Rocket will now take longer to activate their ultimates. Psylocke will also need more time in the future and that was more than necessary. If we’re being honest, her ultimate in particular could use even more nerfs, but this change is a good start. How the new meta will play out is something we’ll find out once the new midseason goes live on December 12.
What do you think? Are you excited for Season 5.5? Let us know in the comments!
