NetEase GamesMarvel Rivals’ “weakest” hero will still struggle in the current meta even after receiving buffs as part of the leaked 1.5 update patch.
Since its release at the end of 2024, Marvel Rivals has been going from strength to strength. The hero-shooter has a stacked roster of Marvel characters to choose from, and in Season 1, Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman were also added to the mix.
While Season 1 is underway, developer NetEase has promised even more content to drop at the halfway-through point, including a new string of leaked nerfs and buffs. Included in these balance changes is an improvement to one of the game’s least-used characters, Black Widow.
As part of the leaked update details, Black Widow will be given a fresh coat of paint and be hit with the following changes:
- Rifle Capacity increased from 8 to 15
- Ultimate: Slow down effect reduced from 80% to 55%
While these buffs will make Black Widow more useful in combat, particularly regarding her long-range attacking and close-quarters ultimate use, Marvel Rivals players are demanding more changes and believe the character needs to be “rebuilt” from the ground up.
Marvel Rivals players convince Black Widow is the “absolute worst” hero
In a Reddit thread that amassed 5.7 upvotes in less than 10 hours, the Marvel Rivals community discussed which hero is the “weakest” of the bunch.
While other names were mentioned, the overwhelming consensus was that Black Widow is “too weak” and in a “weird spot” within the game’s meta.
“Black Widow does not even feel like someone played her before the release,” commented one Reddit user.
Another added, “I still don’t know what her ultimate does. People have told me what it does, and I just forget because I’ve never seen one go off in-game.”
Black Widow is a duelist hero in which players can switch quickly between hand-to-hand melee combat or sitting back and sniping. Her rifle allows her to pick off enemies from a distance, while her baton is there for when things get too close and personal for attacking from afar.
Despite sounding like a well-rounded hero, players have noted that there is “no synergy with her abilities” and consequently, she plays as if “she’s missing the better half of her kit.”
While the buffs reportedly set to hit Black Widow during the mid-season patch will improve her ability to snipe and reduce the cooldown on her ultimate, the community are still unsure that her overall composition has enough power to compete with some of the game’s most popular heroes.
“You cannot convince me Black Widow in Rivals is a completed design,” proclaimed another player on Reddit.
When the Marvel Rivals mid-season patch officially drops, we’ll know more about how Black Widow will reintegrate into the game after her buffs. For the time being, however, players are convinced that she “is still absolutely the worst.”
