After overperforming at the start of Season 3, NetEase Games listened to community feedback and confirmed that Wolverine will be nerfed.
Team compositions centered around two short to mid-ranged hitscan Duelists sitting behind shield Vanguard dominated the Season 2.5 meta. As a result, Wolverine emerged as a favorite pick due to his ability to isolate Vanguards and take them off the battlefield. NetEase Games took note of that and slightly nerfed Wolverine in Season 3.
Season 3 increased Feral Leap’s strike duration from four to five seconds and increased its cooldown from 12 seconds to 15 seconds. However, Wolverine also got a boost thanks to a new Team-Up Ability with Phoenix. The newly formed duo emerged as clear favorites following the update, forcing the devs to nerf the Duelist again.
Marvel Rivals Wolverine Nerf Explained
In the new Team-Up Ability, Primal Flame, Phoenix is the anchor. When Wolverine unleashes his Feral Leap, the Phoenix Force activates, burning nearby enemies over time and adding Lifesteal to all of Wolverine’s attacks. The ability proved too powerful, as Wolverine healed too easily thanks to the burn damage, allowing him to take on one or two Vanguards alone easily.
NetEase responded, “After S3 launched, we observed that Wolverine’s new Team-Up Ability with Phoenix has been bringing a bit too much heat to Vanguards. This duo’s combined power has led to battles for Vanguards feeling less like a hero’s journey and more like a mutiny, potentially sidelining key Vanguard heroes.”
So, on July 17, a few Wolverine nerfs are coming.
- Increase Berserk Claw Strike Base Damage from 6 to 8. Reduce Percentage Damage per attack at maximum Rage from 4.5% to 3.5%.
- Increase Regenerative Healing Factor cooldown from 90s to 105s. Increase cooldown reduction from 10s to 12s when participating in KOs.
- Reduce Lifesteal gained during Phoenix Warrior from 33% to 25%.
Is this update enough to even the playing field? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Forums.
For more on Marvel Rivals, check out the Summer Special Event patch notes and how to obtain every swimsuit costume.
