Too many duelists? Marvel Rivals promises a roster balance in future updates, but it may take some time.
Marvel Rivals players have long pointed out the dominance of Duelist heroes in the roster, and now creative director Guangyun Chen has confirmed that the team are preparing to address the imbalance. The solution, however, will not arrive immediately, as upcoming content is already locked in well ahead of release.
Speaking in an interview with the Rivals Assembled YouTube channel on Monday (11 August), Chen explained that the development team had been closely following community discussions across forums and social media. “We've actually seen a lot of feedback about this from the community. Going forward, we will address it,” he said.
Duelists dominate the Marvel Rivals roster
The third-person hero shooter launched with a heavy focus on damage dealers, and subsequent updates have only widened the gap. Four more Duelists have been added since release, with the latest to be released being Blade, who was released in Season 3.5.
Meanwhile, Vanguard and Strategist characters have seen far fewer additions. This has left many players feeling restricted in their role options, and contributed to a meta where DPS playstyles overshadow other strategies.
Why the fix will take time
According to Chen, changes cannot happen overnight because hero development is planned and produced well in advance. By the end of Season 1, concepts for Seasons 3 and 4 were already finalised. The process, from choosing a hero to completing production, can take many months, involving design, testing, and balancing before release. As a result, the heroes currently in the pipeline are scheduled for release next year.
While that timeline might frustrate some, Chen stressed that work is underway to create a healthier class balance. He believes that “over time, a new balance will form” as more Vanguards and Strategists join the line-up, gradually shifting the game away from its current DPS-heavy state.
With community feedback continuing to shape the roadmap, future seasons could finally see tanks and supports share the spotlight, but for now, players may have to endure a few more months of high-damage firefights before the meta begins to change.
