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NetEase has already revealed the next two heroes that will join Marvel Rivals. Phoenix, who is already available on early access servers, will be released with Season 3 on Friday. Following her arrival, the developer plans to release Blade, a long-awaited Marvel character who’s been teased for several months.
While Phoenix’s full kit is already known thanks to early access, Blade has remained a mystery, until now. A recent leak has revealed several key details about his gameplay, including his abilities and role. Unfortunately, many players may find his role disappointing.
What role will Blade have in Marvel Rivals?
With the release of Phoenix, Marvel Rivals will have 40 heroes in its impressive roster. While this number is impressive, it’s dominated by Duelists. After adding Phoenix, the game now has 21 damage dealers, which make up more than 50% of the roster. To put it into perspective, there are only 10 Vanguards (tanks) and nine Strategists (healers).
The addition of Blade will make the situation even worse. According to a leaked gameplay video, Blade will be a Duelist who has 300 HP. The video shows off his abilities, including a melee attack with a sword and a secondary attack with the Hunting Gun.
Blade is set to arrive with a mid-season update in August. He will be the 41st hero in the game and the 22nd Duelist. Considering that most team comps follow a 2-2-2 structure (two Vanguards, two Duelists, two Strategists), adding yet another Duelist feels like an unusual decision by NetEase.
However, this move may signal an upcoming meta shift in Season 3.5. It’s possible that the developers intend to shake up team composition norms, making lineups with three Duelists more viable in the future. For now, a composition with one Vanguard, three Duelists, and two Strategists has a 49.74% win rate, which is the second-highest win rate among all compositions.
About the Author
Marvel Rivals
- Platform(s): macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s): Fighting, Shooter
