Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 Balance Changes: All Characters Nerf and Buff

Season 2.5 of Marvel Rivals will be live on May 30th, 2025, with a major update that’s definitely reshaping the meta. This patch introduces big changes to heroes and team-up abilities. Some characters have been reworked entirely, while others received focused balance tweaks. This full breakdown covers all Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 balance changes, including the list of all characters that got nerfed and buffed.

Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 Balance Changes: Characters Nerf

Several powerful heroes are getting toned down to create a better balance across the roster. Here’s who’s taking a hit:

Character	Nerf Details
Captain America	• Base health reduced: 600 → 575 • Shield recovery delay increased: 2s → 4s • Ultimate energy cost increased: 2800 → 3100
Emma Frost	• Mind’s Aegis shield value reduced: 500 → 400 • Carbon Crush cooldown increased: 5s → 6s • Crystal Kick damage reduced: 50 → 40 hit and 100 → 90 wall impact
Groot	• Vine Strike damage per hit reduced: 70 → 65 • Ironwood Wall cooldown increased: 8s → 12s
Thor	• Hammer Throw damage significantly reduced: 70 → 45 throw and 30 → 20 return • Thorforce shield value reduced: 100 → 75 per stack and 200 → 150 maximum
Human Torch	• Fire Cluster damage reduced: 7 → 6 per hit • Blazing Blast charge time increased: 2s → 3s • Flaming Meteor shield reduced: 75 → 50 • Cooldown increased: 15s → 20s
Iron Fist	• Dragon’s Defense conversion rate reduced: 1.5 → 1.3 • Maximum bonus health reduced: 200 → 175 • Cooldown reduction from hits decreased: 1.5s → 1s
Iron Man	• Third Repulsor Blast damage reduced: 50 → 45 projectile • Spell Field damage decreased: 60 → 55 •  Armor Overdrive bonus health reduced: 100 → 50
Namor	• Blessing of the Deep cooldown increased: 15s → 20s • Horn of Proteus outer damage reduced: 200 → 180
Psylocke	• Wing Shurikens retrieval damage reduced: 14 → 12 per hit • Psychic Stealth invisibility duration reduced: 3s → 2s
Star-Lord	• Galactic Legend energy cost increased: 3100 → 3400
Jeff the Land Shark	• Joyful Splash healing reduced: 150 → 130 per second • Healing Bubble charges reduced: 6 → 3 • Ultimate energy cost increased: 4000 → 4500
Luna Snow	• Fate of Both Worlds energy cost increased: 4500 → 5000
Rocket Raccoon	•  Repair Mode direct hit healing reduced: 55 → 50

Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 Balance Changes: Characters Buff

Many heroes are receiving improvements to make them more competitive in the current meta:

Character	Buff Details
Doctor Strange	• Daggers of Denak damage falloff improved: 62.5% → 80% at 20m •  Maelstrom of Madness range falloff completely removed
Emma Frost	• Telepathic Pulse range increased: 15.5m → 18m
Magneto	• Ring charging speed increased: 4s/stack → 3s/stack
Thor	• Hammer Throw reworked to standard ability with 6s cooldown • Gains 1 Thorforce per enemy hit • Removes universal cooldown restrictions
Hawkeye	• Base arrow damage increased: 32 → 34 • Blast Arrow projectile damage increased: 15 → 16 • Spell field damage increased: 32 → 34 • Maximum focus increased: 70 → 75 • Faster charging speed: 100/s → 108/s • Charge falloff speed: 30s → 32s
Hela	• Nightsword Thorn charge capacity increased: 8 → 10
Namor	• Horn of Proteus radius expanded: 3m → 3.5m inner and 8m → 9m outer • Monstro Spawn damage falloff improved: 30% → 50% at 40m
Squirrel Girl	•  Burst Acorn capacity increased: 10 → 12 • Mammal Bond cooldown reduced: 12s → 10s • Improved user experience for multiple abilities: Squirrel Blockade, Tail Bounce, and Unbeatable Squirrel Tsunami
Star-Lord	• Galactic Legend range extended: 30m → 40m • Damage falloff improved: 60% → 75% at 40m
Storm	• Omega Hurricane damage increased: 150/s → 160/s
The Punisher	• Final Judgement movement penalty reduced: 20% → 10% when not firing and 40% → 30% when firing • Adjudication magazine size increased: 30 → 40) • Single hit damage increased: 18 → 19
Jeff the Land Shark	• Joyful Splash now damages enemies at 70/s • Joyful Splash can heal through targets • Aqua Burst direct hits: deal 45 spell field damage • Hide and Seek gets an energy system with a max 120 cap • Ultimate overflow healing grants: 45/s bonus health up to 150 • Critical hit damage reduction increased: 50% → 70%
Luna Snow	• Light & Dark Ice healing and damage increased: 20 → 22 per round • Absolute Zero grants 50 bonus health per enemy hit

Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 Team-Up Adjustments

Season 2.5 offers players new 6 team-up abilities that will make you think of new strategies in all of your matches:

New Team-Ups Added

Team-Up Name	Heroes	Team-Up Anchor Bonus	Partner Ability
Chilling Assault	Luna Snow + Hawkeye	Luna Snow: +15% Healing Effects	Hawkeye: Ice Arrow (freeze enemies)
Jeff-nado	Storm + Jeff the Land Shark	Storm: Shark Surge (ride weather patterns)	Jeff: It’s Jeff-nado! (ultimate + wind power combo)
Operation: Microchip	The Punisher + Black Widow	• The Punisher: +25 Max Health • +5% Damage	Black Widow: Pulse Rifle
Rocket Network	Rocket Raccoon + Peni Parker	• Rocket: +5% Healing Effects • B.R.B. → Web Beacon	Peni Parker: Armored Spider-Nest (battlefield control)
Stark Protocol	Iron Man + Ultron	Iron Man: +5% Damage	Ultron: Nano-Ray (tech synergy)
Symbiote Shenanigans	Venom + Jeff the Land Shark	Venom: +150 Max Health	Jeff: Healing Tendrils (unexpected support angles)

Removed Team-Ups

Team-Up Ability	Heroes Affected	Removed Effects
Allied Agents	Hawkeye + Black Widow	Black Widow loses Supersensory Hunt
Ammo Overload	Rocket Raccoon + The Punisher	The Punisher loses Infinite Punishment
Chilling Charisma	Luna Snow + Jeff the Land Shark	Jeff loses Frozen Spitball
Gamma Charge (partial)	Hulk + Iron Man	Iron Man loses Gamma Overdrive
Symbiote Bond	Venom + Peni Parker / Spider-Man	• Spider-Man loses Suit Expulsion • Peni Parker loses Armor Expulsion

Also Read:

• Marvel Rivals Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol: New Auto Chess Mode
• Marvel Rivals Dev Vision Vol 06: Season 2.5 Ultron, Team-Up and Balance Changes Guide
• How to Get and Use Chrono Shield Cards in Marvel Rivals to Protect Your Rank

Balance Adjustments to Existing Team-Ups

Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 aims to deliver more dynamic gameplay through various changes and balance updates. Did your favorite heroes get buffed or nerfed? Either way, now’s the time to experiment and adapt to the upcoming changes through practice!