Marvel Rivals Season 9: All Buffs and Nerfs Explained

Marvel Rivals Season 9 buffs and nerfs represent the biggest balance overhaul in the game’s history. NetEase is stripping out flat Team-Up Anchor bonuses across the board, replacing them with specific character synergies, slowing down ultimate generation for every hero, and adding a new health type called Regenerative Shields to a large portion of the roster. Jubilee joins as a new Strategist, Black Widow gets a complete kit rework, and the dive meta is back with a vengeance.

Here is every change going live on July 10, 2026, broken down by role.

Two Global Changes That Affect Every Hero

Before getting into individual hero changes, two universal adjustments change the pace of every fight in Season 9.

• Ultimate energy generation slowed across the board. All heroes charge their ultimate abilities slower than before. Match-winning plays come out less frequently, which rewards positioning and cooldown management over brute force ult spamming. Several heroes also had their individual ultimate energy costs increased on top of this global change.

• Regenerative Shields added to multiple heroes. This is a new health type that restores automatically after 5 seconds without taking damage, recovering 20% of the hero’s max health per second. Heroes who received Regenerative Shields had their base health reduced to compensate, but the net result favors mobile, flanking playstyles over passive tanking. If you can stay out of combat briefly between engagements, you recover health without needing healer attention.

These two changes are the foundation of the Season 9 meta shift. Everything below builds on top of them.

All Duelist Buffs and Nerfs in Marvel Rivals Season 9

Cyclops

Cyclops was melting targets too easily. NetEase dialed back his output and slowed his mobility:

• Reduced Optic Blast single-hit damage from 25 to 21.
• Reduced Ricochet Force damage from 80 to 70.
• Increased the cooldowns of Propulsion Burst and Optic Ascent from 12s to 15s.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost.

His new Team-Up with Phoenix keeps him relevant through Sparks interactions, but his pick rate will drop in Season 9.

Black Panther (Rework)

T’Challa swaps raw health for Regenerative Shields, making him a safer dive pick:

• Base Health reduced from 275 to 150. Gains 125 Regenerative Shield
• Net total health stays comparable, but recovery between dives is built in

His mobility kit was already excellent. The Regenerative Shield rewards players who dive in, deal damage, and get out cleanly.

Black Cat (Mixed)

Felicia’s luck is taking a swing! She’s getting a massive boost to her payout odds, but she’ll have to rely on her new shields to survive the heist:

• Reduced base Health from 275 to 150. Add 125 Regenerative Shield.
• Increased maximum Fortune cap from 1,000 to 1,200.
• Increased the odds of securing a high Fortune payout when using the Tablet of Destinies.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost.

Higher upside when she hits big payouts, but going all in recklessly will get her killed faster in Season 9.

Daredevil

The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen continues his downward trend:

• Base Health reduced from 300 to 150. Gains 150 Regenerative Shield
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost

The Regenerative Shield gives him some defensive recovery between engagements, but he has been consistently nerfed for several seasons.

Deadpool (Duelist)

The Merc with a Mouth’s bite becomes a little worse than his bark. His Team-Up Anchor, which offered a bonus 5% Damage Boost, has been removed. So, he needs to work a little harder to deliver sufficient damage. This is only his Duelist counterpart, so be sure to continue reading to find out how his Vanguard and Strategist parts fare in Marvel Rivals Season 9.

Elsa Bloodstone

The monster hunter packs more shells and synergizes better with Devil Dinosaur:

• Increased Double-Barrel Blaster ammo capacity from 8 to 12 shells
• Increased Helix Advance cooldown from 10s to 11s (slight nerf to offset the buff)
• When Devil Dinosaur is her Team-Up partner: individual pellet damage increased from 4.5 to 5
• Receiving a new Legendary Outfit in Season 9

With 12 shells per clip and a Devil Dinosaur pairing, Elsa is one patch away from S-Tier status.

Hawkeye

Clint’s arrows fly faster and hit harder when partially charged. They’ll never see him coming. The damage scaling of Piercing Arrow while charging is slightly increased, though the maximum fully-charged damage remains unchanged.

Piercing Arrow’s base projectile speed is also increased from 120m/s to 130m/s, and its maximum projectile speed is increased from 180m/s to 195m/s. Players are about to face the horrors of Season 0 Hawkeye in MRC 9.

Hela

The Goddess of Death extends her deadly reach, and her Nastrond Crow form is now fully unleashed:

• Increased Nightsword Thorn base damage from 70 to 80.
• Adjusted the damage falloff from starting at 18m and reducing to 70% at 30m to starting at 18m and reducing to 75% at 35m.
• Astral Flock Adjustment: Hela can now fly freely in any direction while in Crow form.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 15% Damage Boost.

Hela’s Season 0 self is making a comeback, so she’s going to be an excellent Duelist in the next season. Two-shotting all Duelists and Strategists with her primary fire is nothing to laugh about.

Human Torch

Johnny’s tightening his fiery focus, meaning you’ll need slightly better aim to roast your targets. His Team-Up Anchor bonus is now removed, which previously offered 5% Damage Boost. So, you need to work a bit harder to make his fire shine brighter in Marvel Rivals Season 9!

Iron Man

Tony’s new Team-Up synergies are strong enough that his baseline needed adjusting:

• Reduced the spell field damage of a single-handed Repulsor Blast from 50 to 45.
• Reduced the spell field damage of a dual-handed Repulsor Blast from 55 to 50.
• While Armor Overdrive is active, reduce the Repulsor Blast spell field damage from 65 to 60.
• Reduced Unibeam (Armor Overdrive) damage from 190/s to 180/s.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost.

Stark relies on his Hulk and Thor Team-Ups to reach his Season 9 ceiling.

Magik

Sharper darts, but his ultimate is harder to reach:

• Crescent Dart damage per hit increased from 23 to 25
• Hand of Khonshu (Ultimate) energy cost increased from 2800 to 3100
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost

On the season themed around an Egyptian city, Moon Knight’s ultimate being harder to access is a frustrating downside. His Team-Ups will carry the weight.

Moon Knight

Khonshu demands more, so Marc is throwing sharper darts and working a bit harder to unleash his ultimate wrath.

• Increased Crescent Dart damage per hit from 23 to 25.
• Increased the energy cost of Hand of Khonshu (Ultimate Ability) from 2800 to 3100.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost.

Moon Knight won’t get his Ultimate Ability as easily. For a Season focusing on an Egyptian city with Egyptian Gods, it’s definitely a bit disappointing. His Team-Ups will do the heavy lifting.

Phoenix

Jean’s fire gets a minor dimming, but her Ultimate is burning hotter than ever: in Marvel Rivals Season 9Jean’s fire gets a minor dimming, but her Ultimate is burning hotter than ever:

• Increased Endsong Inferno (Ultimate Ability) Explosion Damage from 140 to 150.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 10% Damage Boost.

Psylocke

The telepathic ninja hits harder from the shadows and synergizes flawlessly with her new telepathic peers in Marvel Rivals Season 9:

• Increased Psionic Crossbow single-hit base damage from 12 to 13.
• Reduced base Health from 250 to 150. Add 100 Regenerative Shield.
• When Emma Frost is selected as her Team-Up partner, increase the Bonus Health granted to Psylocke upon hitting an enemy with Wing Shurikens from 10 to 15.
• When Cloak & Dagger are selected as her Team-Up partners, increase Psionic Crossbow single-hit base damage from 13 to 14.

Scarlet Witch

Wanda’s chaos magic flows smoother with a new cancel mechanic:

• Dark Seal can now be cast while Mystic Projection is active, which cancels the Projection prematurely

Small change, significant impact. Landing a Dark Seal mid-projection opens lethal follow-up windows that were not possible before.

Star-Lord

Peter Quill will have to dance a little faster now that NetEase has taken away his extra on-demand padding in MRC 9:

• Removed the 25 Bonus Health gained upon using Stellar Shift.
• Reduced base Health from 250 to 150. Added 100 Regenerative Shield.

Storm

The weather goddess is summoning deadlier gusts to slice through the opposition in MRC 9:

• Increased Wind Blade base damage from 55 to 60.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Damage Boost.

Her increased Wind Blade damage, along with her returning Base and Enhanced Team-Ups, could definitely make her one of the strongest characters in Marvel Rivals Season 9.

The Punisher (Nerf with Team-Up recovery)

Frank’s baseline damage drops, but a Daredevil partnership restores it:

• Adjudication damage per hit reduced from 20 to 19
• Deliverance damage per hit reduced from 10 to 9.5
• With Daredevil Team-Up: Adjudication damage restored to 20, Deliverance restored to 10

The Punisher and Daredevil are now a package deal if you want full damage output.

All Vanguard Buffs and Nerfs in Marvel Rivals Season 9

Angela

Asgard’s assassin trades raw vitality for Regenerative Shield:

• Reduced base Health from 450 to 350. Added 200 Regenerative Shield.
• Removed the Team-Up Anchor 100 Bonus Health.

Captain America

Cap gets a dramatic health conversion:

• Reduced base Health from 600 to 300. Add 300 Regenerative Shield.
• Removed the Team-Up Anchor 100 Bonus Health. (Total Health reduced from 700 to 600).

Deadpool (Vanguard)

Wade gets significant upgrades across his Vanguard kit:

• Increased Dual Desert Eagles – Vanguard single-shot damage from 34 to 36 (standard) and from 39 to 40 (upgraded).
• Deadpool In Your Area – Upgraded (Vanguard): Increase the Damage Reduction provided to allies from 20% to 25% and from 30% to 35% for Deadpool.
• Increased base Health from 450 to 500. 
• Removed the Team-Up Anchor 50 Bonus Health.

Safe to say, Deadpool’s Vanguard counterpart will become a much favorable pick in Marvel Rivals Season 9.

Devil Dinosaur

Our prehistoric pal here is beefing up his scales, making him an absolute terror to take down:

• Increased base Health from 750 to 850.
• Increased the critical hit damage reduction provided by Prehistoric Plating (Passive) from 50% to 60%.
• Increased the reduced Ultimate Energy gain for enemies damaging or allies healing Devil Dinosaur from 35% to 40%.
• Removed the Team-Up Anchor 100 Bonus Health.

Devil Dinosaur was already an MVP-snagging Vanguard, and these buffs make him significantly more dangerous. Pair these with his Punisher Team-Up, and he’ll take his enemies back to the Jurassic Period in MRC 9.

Doctor Strange

The Sorcerer Supreme has spent some time studying the mystic arts of durability! NetEase is padding Stephen’s health and significantly fortifying the Shield of the Seraphim in Marvel Rivals Season 9:

• Increased base Health from 575 to 650.
• Increased the shield value of Shield of the Seraphim from 700 to 850.
• Removed the Team-Up Anchor 100 Bonus Health.
• When Invisible Woman is selected as a Team-Up partner, Doctor Strange’s Shield of the Seraphim gains an additional 150 shield value (Total 1000).

Groot

The Flora Colossus stands straighter as its own anchor to root itself firmly on the frontline in Marvel Rivals Season 9:

• Increased base Health from 700 to 850.
• Removed the Team-Up Anchor 150 Bonus Health.

Hulk

NetEase is reshaping the Green Goliath’s bulk in Marvel Rivals Season 9. While his punches hit harder, his massive HP pool is getting trimmed and supplemented with the new Regenerative Shield.

• Increased Heavy Blow Damage from 40 to 45.
• Reduced base Health from 650 to 400. Add 300 Regenerative Shield.
• Increased the energy cost of Hulk Smash! (Ultimate Ability) from 3400 to 3700.
• Removed the Team-Up Anchor 100 Bonus Health. (Total Health reduced from 750 to 700).

Peni Parker

The SP//dr suit’s core plating gets a minor adjustment to sync with the new Team-Up system. Her Team-Up Anchor with 50 Bonus Health has been removed for Marvel Rivals Season 9.

Rogue

Rogue’s brawling power was a bit too oppressive. NetEase is pulling back her damage reduction and burst potential in MRC 9:

• Reduced the Damage Reduction provided during Defensive Stance from 60% to 55%.
• Reduced the maximum bonus damage added to Southern Brawl at full energy from 90 to 75.
• Reduced base Health from 650 to 350. Add 225 Regenerative Shield (Total Health reduced from 650 to 575).

The Thing

It truly is Clobberin’ Time! Ben’s getting some extra survivability on his heavy swings, and NetEase is tweaking his hitboxes to lock down launched targets properly:

• Increased Bonus Health cap provided by Stone Haymaker from 100 to 150.
• Slightly increased the vertical detection height of the anti-movement zone generated at the end of Yancy Street Charge to prevent Launched enemies from unexpectedly being able to use their movement abilities.
• Slightly reduced the backswing animation time when using Clobberin’ Time (Ultimate Ability) immediately following Battle Blitz or Embattled Leap.

Thor

The God of Thunder is getting a jolt of agility and some fierce new shielding so he can bring the storm more effectively in Marvel Rivals Season 9:

• Slightly increased the travel distance of an uncharged, quick-cast Storm Surge.
• Increased the damage of Hammer Throw from 45 to 50 on throw and increased the damage on return from 20 to 25.
• Increased Bonus Health provided upon hit from 50 to 75.
• Reduced base Health from 600 to 300. Add 300 Regenerative Shield.

Venom

NetEase is reeling in the symbiote’s ravenous resilience to ensure he isn’t quite so impossible to put down in Marvel Rivals Season 9.

• Reduced base Health from 675 to 500. Add 250 Regenerative Shield.
• Removed the Team-Up Anchor 150 Bonus Health. (Total Health reduced from 825 to 750).

All Strategist Buffs & Nerfs Explained

Adam Warlock

The golden gladiator is bulkier and pairs beautifully with the robotic menace (Ultron) with whom he once shared a body:

• Increased base Health from 250 to 275.
• Reduced Cosmic Cluster projectile damage from 38 to 35.
• When Ultron is selected as his Team-Up partner, increase Quantum Magic ammo capacity from 15 to 25.

Cloak & Dagger

Across-the-board healing increases for the duo:

• Lightforce Dagger direct-hit healing increased from 12 to 15
• Lingering spell field healing increased from 20 to 25
• Veil of Lightforce one-time healing increased from 45 to 50
• Dagger Storm healing output increased from 45/s to 50/s
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 15% Healing Boost

Significant healing increases that make them a stronger sustained support pick.

Deadpool (Strategist)

It’s Anchors Away for Mr. Pool! His Team-Up Anchor 5% Healing Boost bonus has been removed, so he needs to shoot more and quip less to heal his teammates better in Marvel Rivals Season 9.

Gambit

Remy’s throwing hot hands and healing hearts with a buff to his life-saving kinetic cards, but on the river comes a bonus removal:

• Increased Kinetic Cards single-hit healing output from 28 to 30.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Healing Boost.

Invisible Woman (Buff)

Sue’s direct healing gets stronger:

• Outgoing Orb Projection healing increased from 45 to 50, return healing increased from 35 to 40
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 15% Healing Boost
• With Doctor Strange Team-Up: his Shield of the Seraphim gains additional 150 shield value

Luna Snow

Seol Hee becomes a pure healer, dropping her damage-boosting anchor role:

• Removed the 10% Damage Boost from Number One Idol. Increased the Healing Boost from 10% to 20%.
• Increased the Healing Boost provided to an attached ally via Idol Aura from 35% to 40%.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 15% Healing Boost.

Luna Snow doubles down on healing identity. A much cleaner role definition heading into Season 9.

Mantis

Mantis blooms with specific Team-Up partnerships:

• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 10% Healing Boost.
• When Star-Lord is selected as her Team-Up partner, enhance the healing output of Healing Flower from 10 + 2.5% of target’s max Health/s to 15 + 3% of target’s max Health/s.
• When Adam Warlock is selected as her Team-Up partner, the Nature’s Favor passive effect is enhanced. After casting Natural Anger (and ONLY while Natural Anger is active), increase her self-healing from 12.5/s to 17.5/s.

Rocket Raccoon

Rocket is reeling back his ultimate’s massive safety net, but he’s compensating by making his Repair Mode even better at keeping his Vanguards alive in Marvel Rivals Season 9:

• Increased the healing amount when a Repair Mode orb passes through an ally from 50 to 55.
• Increased the energy cost of C.Y.A. (Ultimate Ability) from 4000 to 4300. Added distance-based falloff logic to C.Y.A.: its Damage Boost and Bonus Health generation will begin decaying at 8m, maxing at a 60% reduction at 20m.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 5% Healing Boost.

Ultron

The Age of Ultron is looking surprisingly supportive in Marvel Rivals Season 9! His drones are now even better at patching up the meatbags on his team. The area healing output of the Imperative: Firewall drones has been increased from 30/s to 35/s.

White Fox

Ami Han sacrifices some baseline healing to become even harder to take down when she lets the Kumiho loose in Marvel Rivals Season 9!

• Increased Spirit Sanctuary cooldown from 12s to 15s.
• Removed Team-Up Anchor bonus 10% Healing Boost.
• Upon activating Kumiho Unleashed (Ultimate Ability), increase total Health from 900 to 1,200.

Black Widow Rework Explained in Marvel Rivals Season 9

Black Widow’s pick-rate hasn’t been the most popular in previous Seasons, but Marvel Rivals Season 9 will definitely put her in the new spotlight with her reworked kit. Rather than being a one-trick pony, her sniper ADS is being relegated to her Ultimate Ability, with her base Abilities getting significantly, specifically her primary fire. Here’s what’s changing in the next Season:

• Primary Fire: The Red Room Rifle’s fire rate has been significantly increased, firing 20 shots simultaneously instead of reloading after each shot. The ADS sniper mode has been removed.
• Electro-Plasma Blast: This was her previous Ultimate Ability, which has now been shifted to one of her Base Abilities. This deals damage and applies a slow effect on enemies.
• Widow’s Bite Slam: This is an entirely new Ability in her kit, allowing her to launch herself toward a target location and slam her Widow’s Bite gauntlet into the ground, dealing AoE damage.
• Ultimate Ability: Her ADS sniper mode has been relegated to her Ultimate Ability. Upon activation, Widow gets into her ADS sniper mode for 20 seconds with 6 bullets, each dealing significant piercing damage. However, Critical Hits do not one-shot heroes this time around.
• Movement Buffs: Black Widow’s sprint and super jump now last permanently, with no stamina restrictions. Additionally, her Electric Batons and her Spinning Kick abilities remain without any changes.

The rework turns her from a high-skill-floor sniper with low pick rate into a flexible Duelist viable at both close and medium range. She will likely go from throw pick to one of the stronger Duelists when the season goes live.

What This Means for the Season 9 Meta

Season 9 is best described as the Regenerative Shield and dive meta. Mobile Duelists and Vanguards who can engage, deal damage, and disengage quickly benefit enormously from shields that restore automatically between fights. Passive frontline play is less rewarded than in previous seasons.

The Team-Up Anchor removal is the most structurally significant change. Heroes no longer get free flat bonuses just for having certain teammates nearby. Every Team-Up benefit is now triggered and specific, which makes team composition decisions more meaningful.

Ultimates are scarcer across the board. With the global energy slowdown, individual ultimate energy cost increases, and the removal of anchor bonuses that indirectly supported ult cycling, match-winning plays require more setup.

Jubilee adds a genuinely new Strategist role. Her kit simultaneously heals allies and damages enemies, which no current Strategist in the roster does at launch. Her fireworks abilities, dash, and life-steal attack give her a dual-function identity that will likely see strong early pick rates.

Beyond the July 10 launch, the Thebes convoy map goes live on July 23, 2026 and the Avengers Age of Ultron event launches July 30, 2026 with Ultron battles in Avengers Tower and Times Square themed activities.

Marvel Rivals Season 9 launches July 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM UTC. With 80% of the roster adjusted, the Team-Up system fully rebuilt, and Black Widow reworked from the ground up, the meta heading into Thebes is genuinely different from anything that came before in the game. Whether you are maining a Strategist, diving as a Duelist, or anchoring the frontline as Vanguard, your rotation and team composition decisions matter more in Season 9 than they ever have.