NetEase Games revamped the hero balance in Marvel Rivals' Season 1 (January), significantly buffing underplayed characters like Storm and Black Widow to enhance gameplay and character popularity.

Storm's buffs resulted in a dramatic surge in her win rate and popularity. Rivals Meta now ranks her as the top hero by win rate, a massive leap from her previous obscurity. In competitive play, her win percentage surpasses 56%, with a pick rate climbing to 16% – a stark contrast to her near-zero pick rate before the update. She's now outperforming established favorites like Adam Warlock, Jeff, Spider-Man, Hela, Hulk, Magic, and Iron Man.

While Cloak and Dagger remain the most popular duo, their win rate dipped below 49%. Black Widow, however, continues to struggle, remaining the least picked and least successful character.

Marvel Rivals is experiencing growth, with hundreds of thousands of players engaging in competitive modes. The Grandmaster title remains highly exclusive, attainable by only 0.1% of players, despite the existence of the Celestial rank.

One player achieved an extraordinary feat during Season 1: reaching Grandmaster rank without suffering a single point of damage across 108 games! This player, utilizing Rocket Raccoon, focused solely on healing teammates, restoring over 2.9 million health points and accumulating nearly 3,500 assists without a single knockout.