NetEase Games revamped the hero balance in Marvel Rivals' Season 1 (January), significantly buffing underplayed characters like Storm and Black Widow to enhance gameplay and character popularity.

Post-update, Storm's popularity and effectiveness soared. Rivals Meta now ranks her as the top win-rate hero, a dramatic rise from her previous obscurity. In competitive play, her win rate surpasses 56%, and her pick rate jumped to 16%, a stark contrast to her near-zero presence before the update. She now outperforms established heroes like Adam Warlock, Jeff, Spider-Man, Hela, Hulk, Magic, and Iron Man.

While Cloak and Dagger remain the most popular duo, their win rate dipped below 49%. Black Widow, however, continues to be the least popular and successful character.

Marvel Rivals is experiencing growth, with hundreds of thousands playing the competitive mode. The Grandmaster title remains highly exclusive, achievable by only 0.1% of players, despite the existence of the Celestial rank.

One player achieved an extraordinary feat: reaching Grandmaster rank in Season 1 without suffering any damage across 108 matches! This player, utilizing Rocket Raccoon, focused solely on healing teammates, restoring over 2.9 million health points and achieving nearly 3,500 assists without a single knockout.