Season 2 is quite a total overhaul of Marvel Rivals’s ranked modes, however, they will be getting some tweaks the developers work to improve the game’s competitive play in a few different ways.
Instead of just changing everything at once, Marvel Rivals Season 2 will introduce several key changes to competitive matches at multiple levels. This includes implementing a rank reset, map rotation, and restricting queues in top ranks to name a few.
All players who participated in any ranked matches during Season 1 and 1.5 will experience their first rank reset heading into Season 2. In total, your rank will decrease by nine divisions based on what your ending rank was for Season 1.5.
This means anyone who ended Season 1.5 at Diamond I will drop all the way to Silver I for the start of Season 2. You will also be able to claim all of your ranked rewards, including the Human Torch – Blood Blaze costume that was exclusive for players who reached Gold rank.
As part of this update, the Marvel Rivals team also revealed the ranked standings for Season 1.5 right before it ends. This shows the full, and accurate breakdown of active players in each of the different ranks, only taking into account players who have played more than five competitive matches.
Map Rotation
When Season 2 goes live, Marvel Rivals will experience its first competitive map rotation, which will be enforced in ranked matches and all official esports tournaments during the season.
The new Hellfire Gala: Krakoa map will join the rotation, while Yggsgard: Royal Palace and Tokyo 2099: Shin Shiibuya will be removed. That leaves the total maps available in competitive play at four.
Quick play and custom matches will still feature every map.
Earlier Hero Bans
Starting in Gold III, competitive matches will feature the pick and ban phases for all players.
This feature was previously unlocked at Diamond III and is now being pushed a full two tiers lower, meaning players in Gold and Platinum will now have access to picks and bans.
Restricted Queues for Top Ranks
At the highest level, Eternity and One Above All, queues will also be restricted and only allow for players to queue solo or with one other player. This was likely done to prevent large stacks of players at the top of the game to group up
Minimum Ranked Level Update
Marvel Rivals will now require players to reach a minimum level of 15 to queue for competitive matches. This is done to give players more time to “master the basics” before jumping into more intense games.
Reworked Rank Score Distribution
NetEase is also reworking the weight at which performance metrics impact ranked score distribution at the end of matches. This means putting even more focus on how a player performs individually starting with Season 2.
“With the launch of Season 2.0, we will be increasing the weight of individual performances,” Marvel Rivals lead combat designer Zhiyong said. “The better you perform, the more points you will earn in victory, and the fewer points you lose in defeat.
Competitive matches are going to look a lot different after Season 2 launches, but not just because of the ranked changes. There is also a massive set of balance adjustments coming on April 11.
Once Season 2: Hellfire Gala goes live, a balance patch will implement changes to more than half the game’s existing roster of heroes. This includes buffs, nerfs, reworks, and a detailed list of new Team-Ups that will be added to the game.
Overall, Marvel Rivals Season 2 is looking like a prime update point for the game’s competitive and esports settings. New content will keep the game fresh for all players, while some of the more direct changes to ranked matches will help improve that experience overall at all levels.
Getting a major rank reset could help matchmaking feel a bit better in each rank’s pool, as some players at higher ELOs were complaining about the distribution of players in ranks like Grandmaster and Diamond. The updated rank score distribution might also lead to a change in where players end up hard-stuck.
Related Article: Marvel Rivals Teases Season 2 Hellfire Gala Skins
Bringing hero picks and bans to Gold III will also help improve the ranked experience, as it means players will start to learn how to play around the competitive mechanic at an earlier stage. That should translate into fewer players relying on one-trick heroes or help them learn about bans as they approach Diamond and look to improve.
Map rotations are a bit more mixed, with some players noting having fewer maps to play in ranked will make the experience duller and less diverse. However, with the addition of Krakoa and another map likely to drop with Season 1.5 in May, this change is worth testing now to see if further adjustments to map availability are needed in the future.
