Season 4 of Marvel Rivals, titled Heart of the Dragon, has landed — with two new heroes (Angela and, mid-season, Daredevil), map updates, and a slew of balance shifts. Whether you’ve been crushing with your mains or struggling against them, these changes will shake up the meta. Let’s dive deep.
Big Picture: What the Patch Was Trying to Do
- Give weaker or under-utilized heroes a chance by buffing damage, ultimates, or utility.
- Soften down dominating picks by nerfing burst, reducing survivability, or shortening ult durations.
- Tweak team-ups, ability cooldowns, and ultimate effects to encourage more balanced team compositions.
Heroes Who Got Buffed
Jeff the Land Shark (Strategist)
Jeff’s ultimate, It’s Jeff!, now leaves behind an 8m Healing Pool that restores 100 HP per second for 8 seconds. This means Jeff provides lasting impact in team fights even after casting his ult. Position carefully—drop it where allies are grouped for maximum sustain.
Invisible Woman
Her Guardian Shield slow went up from 30% to 35%. Her ultimate, Invisible Boundary, heals more (165 → 180 HP/s) and now slows enemies inside by 20%. Better control and sustain.
Ultron
Ultron’s ult now deals 125% extra damage to bonus health, making him a true tank buster.
Thor
His ultimate movement speed increased from 600 → 700, and now stuns enemies for 1s on landing. A buff to both initiation and chasing.
Scarlet Witch
Her ultimate Reality Erasure was massively buffed—damage skyrocketed from 800 to 9,999, it now pulls in enemies within 15m, and she can be healed during Mystic Projection. She is a serious threat in fights.
Magik
Big set of improvements: faster charge on Magik Slash, projectile now pierces, cooldown reductions, damage bumps on melee abilities, and buffs to her ultimate Darkchild. Magik feels much smoother and deadlier to play.
Peni Parker
Spider-Drones now apply a stacking 8% slow (up to 40%) and her ultimate deploys drones faster. Great for zoning and chase.
Moon Knight
Moon Blade now has two charges with a 6s recharge timer. This makes him much more flexible.
Blade
His Ancestral Sword damage increased from 22 → 24. Small, but meaningful.
Heroes Who Got Nerfed
Loki
Illusions’ damage and healing cut from 100% → 80%. Ultimate shapeshift duration dropped from 15s → 12s. Trickier to stay impactful over time.
Luna Snow
Ultimate duration reduced from 12s → 10s. Tighter engagement windows.
Black Panther
Base health reduced from 300 → 275. Bonus health from Spirit Rend reduced from 30 → 25. He’s more fragile now.
Emma Frost
Diamond Form cooldown increased (15s → 18s) and energy gain against shields cut in half. Lower survivability.
Squirrel Girl
Acorn burst damage reduced (110 → 100), while Mammal Bond cooldown went up from 10s → 15s.
Psylocke
Wing Shuriken retrieve damage dropped from 12 → 8 per hit.
Captain America
Lost his 5% Team-Up Anchor damage bonus. Less synergy impact.
What About Human Torch?
Human Torch didn’t get direct buffs or nerfs in this patch. That doesn’t mean nothing changes for him—because other heroes around him shifted.
- Torch now faces stronger Strategists (like Jeff or Invisible Woman) that can heal and slow fights down.
- On the flip side, nerfed duelists (like Loki and Black Panther) might give him more room to burn bright.
- Torch + Jeff synergy is better than ever: Torch brings burst damage, Jeff follows up with area healing to stabilize your team.
Tips for Torch this season:
- Avoid getting caught in Scarlet Witch’s super-buffed ultimate—it will delete you.
- Use your mobility to punish weakened duelists who can’t trade as effectively post-nerf.
- Pair with Jeff whenever possible—he covers your weaknesses in sustain.
What Jeff Players Should Focus On
With Jeff’s buff, his ultimate is now much more strategic.
- Drop the healing pool in clustered fights or choke points to swing the momentum.
- Play close to allies rather than solo roaming.
- Time ultimates after big enemy ultimates land, so your healing keeps your team in the fight.
How the Meta Shifts
- More Strategists = longer, more sustain-heavy battles.
- Buffed duelists (Scarlet Witch, Magik) = scarier ult combos in team fights.
- Nerfed heroes = fewer solo carry moments. Team coordination matters more.
Final Thoughts
Marvel Rivals Season 4 has shaken up the roster. Even though Human Torch stayed the same, his place in the meta shifted as enemies and allies changed. Jeff the Land Shark, on the other hand, is stronger than ever—making him a true force in team comps.
If you main Torch and Jeff, experiment with comps that pair your burst with Jeff’s sustain. Together, you can melt enemies and then keep your squad alive long enough to secure objectives.
Season 4 is about smart positioning, well-timed ultimates, and using Jeff’s healing pool to win the long fights. Time to light it up—and chomp down.
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