You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide The so-called “Support Strike” has been a popular topic in the Marvel Rivals community over the past week. It seems that every social media platform has crowds of in-game healers holding picket signs that read, “We won’t heal anymore.” The situation has gotten that bad, and the game that was once by casual players seems to have changed. However, is that really the case? Thanks to the public data, we have access to all the stats from Season 2. We compared these stats to the stats from the previous season, and well, it turns out that the Support Strike is not actually real. It turns out that the revolution hasn’t quite started yet! We have a detailed stats analysis, so let’s get into it. By the time we are over, we might even talk you into going on a hunger strike over Doctor Strange’s nerfs! What is the Support Strike in Marvel Rivals? Season 2 of the popular video game brought numerous balance changes. Some heroes were buffed, others were nerfed, but most of the lineup has remained more or less the same. However, many players claim that the dive meta was buffed, mostly due to a massive buff for Captain America and a couple of nerfs for Strategists. Rocket is the best support hero in Season 2. Image by VideoGamer While it’s true that diving is a viable strategy, it’s far from overpowered. After all, several anti-dive heroes have received buffs, including Mister Fantastic and Peni Parker. Even Namor, the most popular anti-dive hero, received a new Team-Up ability that makes his squids go berserk! Dealing with divers makes playing support heroes unenjoyable, especially when they are not apparently getting enough points in ranked, which is why many Strategist mains have stopped playing this role. Or well, at least that’s what they claim. If we look at the stats, support heroes are still active, even more than in the previous season. So let’s dive right into it! Support heroes are still popular in Marvel Rivals If you play Marvel Rivals as a damage dealer, you should take care of your supports. After all, they are arguably the most important part of your team. If they fall, you will most certainly lose a fight, so make sure to help them in the backline if they are getting dived. Now, let’s take a look at the pick rate comparison of Strategists in Seasons 1.5 and 2: HeroSeason 1.5 Pick RateSeason 2 Pick RateChangeInvisible Woman45.52%37.61%-7.91%Cloak & Dagger45.12%46.91%+1.79%Luna Snow30.57%21.49%-9.08%Rocket Raccoon27.71%45.71%+18.00%Loki20.51%21.23%+0.72%Adam Warlock13.64%8.60%-5.04%Mantis13.23%9.80%-3.43%Jeff The Land Shark12.88%12.04%-0.84%Total208.49%203.39%-5.10% As you can see, the overall pick rate dropped by only 5.10%, which is only a 0.6% decrease per hero. Considering that Season 2 brought Emma Frost, a non-Strategist, this was to be expected. Over the first two weeks, Emma has been the most popular hero in the game, and this is unlikely to change anytime soon. Fun Fact: The pick rate of Duelists has dropped by 8.22% in Season 2. Let’s get #DPSStrike trending! Now, let’s move over to team composition stats. According to RivalsMeta, the 2-2-2 composition is still the best, boasting a win rate of 53.52%. This is also the most popular team composition, as players choose it in two out of three games. Let’s check out pick rates for the most popular compositions in the past and current season. Team CompSeason 1.5Season 2Change2 Vanguards – 2 Duelists – 2 Strategists59.72%67.23%+7.51%1 Vanguard – 3 Duelists – 2 Strategists19.91%16.05%-3.86%1 Vanguard – 2 Duelists – 3 Strategists9.68%5.44%-4.42%2 Vanguards – 1 Duelist – 3 Strategists7.08%6.00%-1.08%Comps with 1 or 0 Strategists1.27%1.74%+0.47% The biggest shift in team compositions occurred for the most popular composition, as it is now used more frequently. While the compositions with one or no healers are picked more commonly, the increase is insignificant. Marvel Rivals win rates also show that that Strategists are doing well. In fact, Rocket is still a cheat code, as he is constantly among the top 3 characters with the highest win rate. If you are Cloak & Dagger, playing against a coordinated Venom-Spiderman duo is certainly not fun. However, such games are certainly winnable. After all, Marvel Rivals is all about a 6v6 combat. The Support Strike is likely to lose momentum soon, at least until Season 2.5 drops in late May. The game is fairly balanced overall, though it’s clear that NetEase will implement more balance changes if needed. Marvel Rivals Platform(s): macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X Genre(s): Fighting, Shooter Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share