Marvel Rivals’ Jeff creator claims players have “skill issue” when losing to the character

In the chaotic arenas of Marvel Rivals, few things annoy players as much as a well-timed ultimate ability. From Scarlet Witch’s reality-bending chaos to Hulk’s earth-shattering slams, these game-changing abilities frequently send opponents scrambling — or enraged. However, among the roster’s heavyweights, one ultimate stands out as the uncontested king of annoyance: Jeff the Land Shark’s “It’s Jeff!”

Since the game’s release, this charming yet cruel Strategist has frightened players by devouring entire teams in a swirl of death, frequently spitting them down cliffs for instant elimination. What was supposed to be a unique, crowd-controlling ability has turned into a nightmare for opponents, with its large hitbox and quick execution leaving little room for counterplay.

However, rushing to the shark’s rescue has come Jeff’s comic creator Kelly Thompson. The writer who debuted Jeff The Land Shark in West Coast Avengers 2019 has blamed Marvel Rivals players who are upset about Jeff’s ult, saying it’s a “skill issue.”

Jeff creator Kelly Thompson advises Marvel Rivals players to get good at the game

In an interview with Polygon, Marvel Comics writer and co-creator of Jeff The Land Shark, Kelly Thompson revealed how she would respond to Marvel Rivals players who were frustrated with Jeff’s ultimate ability “It’s Jeff!” in the game. The writer was quick to respond, while mocking the players as she jokingly said, “What they call annoying, I call a skills issue.”

While she simply told the players to ‘git gud’ in gaming lingo, she offered a piece of advice to those who were clearly annoyed being eaten by the character’s ult or even his damaging capabilities. She advises, “I think they should get better at the game. Sounds like a skills issue to me, if my boy is beating your ass every night. I mean, listen, he has an incredibly powerful ult; just accept it, become zen about it. Everyone’s got upsides and downsides, right?”

Since players are always aware of Jeff’s overpowered ultimate, he was also the only character with the worst win rate in Season 0 lobbies, turning him into the game’s biggest loser. Although his abilities have received certain adjustments to balance the roster with the latest Season 1.5 update.

However, when Thompson was asked about Jeff’s costumes and appearances, she reveals the game should’ve included their comic crossover with Venom. “I do think — I’m not usually super into the Venom-ification of everything, because it can really overwhelm, but he has merged with Venom in the comics [in Venom War: It’s Jeff!] and he grew giant, punchy arms. So that would be fun to have in the game”, Thompson revealed.

If you want to check out more in Marvel Rivals, check out our feature on why the game needs more villains, and which hero’s hitbox is currently overpowered.