Marvel Rivals devs take shots at DPS and tanks not protecting their healers

The competitive scene of Marvel Rivals is in disarray, with Season 2’s balancing changes sparking a community-wide “Support Strike” among Strategist players. Frustrated by a punishing dive meta, toxic team dynamics, and a ranking system that undervalues their efforts, support mains refuse to queue as Strategists, instead choosing Duelist (DPS) or Vanguard (tank).

The movement, sparked by offensive comments from streamer Necros, who referred to support players as “idiots” and “morons,” has gained traction on social media, with players citing constant pressure from dive heroes such as Spider-Man and a lack of protection from teammates. The strike has disrupted high-MMR matches, with team configurations strongly favoring DPS and tanks, resulting in imbalanced gameplay and increased toxicity.

In response, Marvel Rivals devs have now answered back, calling out DPS and tank players to protect their supports in a recent Dev Talk. Here’s more on what they said.

Marvel Rivals devs promise new update will power supports and end “support strike” for good

In a key Dev Talk on April 27, 2025, NetEase Games addressed the Marvel Rivals community’s “Support Strike,” in which Strategist (support) players are boycotting their positions due to a severe dive meta and destructive team dynamics. The creators promised big changes to empower Strategists while criticizing Duelist and Vanguard players for failing to protect their healers.

A mid-season patch, set to be released in mid-May, would increase damage output for certain Strategists like Invisible Woman and Jeff the Land Shark, allowing them to “elevate their threat levels” and improve team composition options. This tries to reduce supports’ reliance on teammates for survival.

In addition, NetEase also addressed the ranking system’s prejudice, noting that Duelists have modest performance rating benefits, whilst Strategists and Vanguards have drawbacks. Changes to competitive points are intended to properly reward support play. However, the developers stressed teamwork, adding, “Vanguards and Duelists must not only attack effectively but also provide better protection for their Strategists in order to achieve victory.”

Furthermore, this patch will also reduce the survivability of dive-heavy characters such as Spider-Man’s Amazing Combo, Groot, and Captain America, while strengthening Winter Soldier and Doctor Strange to shift the meta.