Summary
Marvel RivalsSeason 2kicked off last week, addingEmma Frostto the roster. However, it also made a series of balance changes, and one of them in particular has frustrated fans.
Yes, I’m talking about theRocket Raccoonreworks. Even before the changes went live,players were upset to seethat Rocket was being tweaked to, presumably, bring him more in line with other strategists. Now, his ultimate does much less damage boosting (25 percent, down from 40 percent) and also heals teammates. On top of that, he has reduced mobility, thanks to his jet pack’s cooldown going from six seconds to ten seconds. Hedoesat least get a slight healing buff, but only if he hits an ally directly, as the area of effect has been nerfed.
So, how does this feel in practice? Well, according to Rocket mains, he just feels like healbot now.
Rocket Mains In Marvel Rivals Aren’t Happy With His Season 2 Changes
“Everyone accused Rocket of being a healbot before, but now he’s more of a healbot than EVER,” says Reddit user Thopterthallid. “Maybe worst of all is now his ultimate is just another reactive ultimate as opposed to a proactive and strategic one. Not only that, it’s the only ‘my team is now invincible’ ult that anyone can disable just by shooting the beacon.”
Many others agree. “They really might as well rename ‘strategist’ to ‘healer’ at this point,” says RoyalRat “The strategy with Rocket is certainly dead,
“I really loved Rocket’s playstyle before. Our tanks and DPS didn’t need to worry about me. I was safely hidden, bouncing heals from cover, doing my job without disrupting the flow of the fight,” says Altruistic-Check5579. “Now? He’s just standing out in the open, trying to heal while being an easy target.”
That said, there are many players who are relieved to see these changes. They argue that the nerf to the area of effect healing means that Rocket requires more skill now, rather than being able to healbot from a distance with no risk.
“Now that the healing is buffed I can actually use my weapon and get kills without my team dying,” argues ValhallaAtchaBoy. “Not to mention really go crazy when we’re enjoying the amplifier.”
“I think he plays now more like the devs originally intended,” DamianKilsby agrees. “I don’t think he was really supposed to be able to mindlessly fire orbs in the direction of their team from the other side of the map.”
Of course, it’s only been a few days. We’ll have to wait and see how these changes affect Rocket’s stats in the long run, and if NetEase makes further changes to address the feedback.
