Summary:
- Marvel Rivals Season 1, titled Eternal Night Falls, launches on January 10, 2025, at 1 AM PST (4 AM EST/9 AM GMT).
- The season introduces Fantastic Four characters, starting with Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm, with The Human Torch and The Thing arriving later.
- Major balance adjustments have been made to heroes like Hulk, Thor, and Black Widow, alongside tweaks to team compositions.
- Players can expect new maps, a $10 battle pass, and exciting story content involving Doctor Strange and Dracula.
Marvel Rivals Season 1 Launch Details and What to Expect
Season 1 officially kicks off on Friday, January 10, 2025, at 1 AM PST (4 AM EST/9 AM GMT). To ensure a smooth rollout, NetEase plans a maintenance window from 11 PM PST on January 9 to 1:10 AM PST. Although the timing may overlap slightly with the launch, players are advised to prepare for possible delays.
Season 1 marks the debut of the Fantastic Four. Initially, players will get access to Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm. The remaining members, The Human Torch and The Thing, will join mid-season, approximately six weeks after the launch. Alongside these iconic characters, the update introduces three new maps and a $10 battle pass loaded with 10 unique skins.
The season also features a gripping storyline involving Doctor Strange and Dracula. Players will team up with the Fantastic Four and other Marvel heroes to combat an eternal night brought on by the Timestream Entanglement and a vampiric army.
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Hero Balance Adjustments for Marvel Rivals Season 1
The first half of Season 1 brings significant balance changes to ensure a more dynamic and competitive gameplay experience. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
Vanguard Adjustments
- Captain America:
- Enhanced survivability with faster shield restoration and reduced cooldowns.
- Base health increased to 675, while the energy cost for Freedom Charge has been reduced to 3100.
- Thor:
- Improved durability with a base health increase to 525.
- God of Thunder ultimate now grants control immunity, making it harder to interrupt his attacks.
- Hulk:
- Sustained combat capability reduced by lowering the gamma shield value of Indestructible Guard to 200.
- Venom:
- Increased threat level with bonus health scaling and higher base damage for Feast of the Abyss.
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Duelist Adjustments
- Black Widow:
- Optimized ability usage and increased threat with faster stamina recovery and reduced charge times for her ultimate.
- Electro-Plasma Explosion now reaches max power in 0.6 seconds.
- Moon Knight:
- Boosted offensive capabilities with an increased number of talons and explosion radius for Hand of Khonshu.
- Psylocke:
- Adjusted ultimate ability to account for enemy barriers, introducing more counterplay options.
- Wolverine:
- Base health increased to 350, but the survivability from Undying Animal slightly reduced.
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Strategist Adjustments
- Cloak & Dagger:
- Expanded healing capabilities and ultimate dash count increased to four.
- Rocket Raccoon:
- Healing from Repair Mode increased to 70 per second, enhancing team support potential.
- Mantis:
- Reduced roaming capability by decreasing the movement boost from Nature’s Favor.
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New Maps and Team-Up Abilities
Season 1 introduces three new maps, each designed to challenge players with unique layouts and objectives. These arenas emphasize team synergy and strategy, ensuring battles are both competitive and engaging.
Team-Up abilities also received minor tweaks, including:
- Hawkeye & Black Widow:
- Reduced Hawkeye’s season bonus to 15%, balancing his dominance.
- Scarlet Witch & Magneto:
- Enhanced damage for Metallic Fusion, increasing its effectiveness in combat.
- Rocket, Punisher & Winter Soldier:
- Reduced cooldown for Ammo Invention from 45 seconds to 40 seconds, ensuring more frequent usability.
The Story Behind Eternal Night Falls
The limited-time story mode for Season 1 is an epic showdown against Dracula and Doctor Doom. Following the Timestream Entanglement, Doctor Strange is trapped in the Astral Plane, while Dracula and Doctor Doom plunge New York City into eternal night by disrupting the moon’s orbit. Players will join forces with the Fantastic Four and other Marvel heroes to restore balance and thwart the vampiric invasion.
This storyline offers players a chance to experience a blend of science and mysticism, with high-stakes battles and immersive missions.
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Player Numbers and Momentum
Marvel Rivals has shown incredible momentum since its launch. The game amassed 10 million players in just three days and 20 million within two weeks. On Steam alone, it peaked at 480,990 concurrent players, placing it among the top five most-played games on the platform during its launch weekend.
As of January 2025, Marvel Rivals is breaking records, with 445,000 concurrent players before the start of Season 1.
Source: IGN
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