The Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 update, launching on May 30, 2025, introduces Ultron as a new playable Strategist hero. Ultron brings a unique playstyle with his ability to fly, heal allies, and deploy drones that both attack enemies and support teammates. His ultimate ability, Drone Swarm, unleashes a barrage of drones that simultaneously damage foes and heal allies, potentially reshaping support strategies in the game.

Hero Balance Adjustments: Buffs and Nerfs

Several heroes receive balance changes to enhance gameplay fairness:

• Captain America: Base health reduced from 600 to 575; increased delay in shield recovery after using Living Legend; higher energy cost for Freedom Charge.
• Doctor Strange: Damage falloff for Daggers of Denak adjusted to retain more damage at longer ranges; Maelstrom of Madness no longer has range damage falloff.
• Emma Frost: Telepathic Pulse range increased; Mind’s Aegis shield value decreased; Carbon Crush cooldown increased; Crystal Kick damage reduced.
• Groot: Vine Strike damage per hit decreased; Ironwood Wall cooldown increased.
• Thor: Hammer Throw reclassified as a standard ability with no Thorforce cost; adjustments to damage and cooldown; reduced bonus health from Thorforce consumption.
• Hawkeye: Base arrow damage increased; Blast Arrow damage enhanced; maximum focus and charging speed improved.
• Hela: Nightsword Thorn charge capacity increased.
• Human Torch: Fire Cluster damage per hit reduced; Blazing Blast charge speed increased; Flaming Meteor shield value decreased and cooldown extended.
• Iron Fist: Dragon’s Defense bonus health conversion rate lowered; maximum bonus health reduced; dash distance slightly decreased; cooldown reduction from Jeet Kune Do hits reduced.
• Iron Man: Gamma Overdrive removed from Team-Up; new Team-Up Anchor effect from Stark Protocol; Repulsor Blast and Armor Overdrive damage reduced.
• Namor: Blessing of the Deep cooldown increased; Horn of Proteus ultimate ability radius expanded; Monstro Spawn damage falloff adjusted.
• Psylocke: Wing Shurikens retrieval damage decreased; Psychic Stealth invisibility duration shortened.
• Squirrel Girl: Burst Acorn capacity increased; Mammal Bond cooldown decreased; user experience optimized for several abilities.
• Star-Lord: Galactic Legend ultimate energy cost increased; maximum target range extended; damage falloff adjusted.
• Storm: Omega Hurricane ultimate ability damage increased.
• The Punisher: Final Judgement movement slow rate reduced; Adjudication magazine size and damage increased; firing spread slightly reduced.
• Jeff the Land Shark: Joyful Splash now deals damage and heals through allies and enemies; Aqua Burst changed to a charge ability with new effects; Healing Bubble now heals over time; Hide and Seek energy mechanics introduced; It’s Jeff! ultimate ability energy cost increased.
• Luna Snow: Light & Dark Ice healing and damage per round increased; Absolute Zero now grants bonus health per enemy hit; Fate of Both Worlds ultimate ability energy cost increased.
• Rocket Raccoon: Repair Mode direct hit healing amount reduced; loses Team-Up anchor bonus and blasts from ammo overload; gains new Team-Up anchor bonus in Rocket Network.

New and Adjusted Team-Up Abilities

Season 2.5 introduces new team-up combinations and adjusts existing ones:

• New Team-Ups:
  • Chilling Assault: Luna Snow and Hawkeye; Luna gains increased healing effects; Hawkeye unlocks Ice Arrow ability.
  • Jeff-nado: Storm and Jeff the Land Shark; Storm gains Shark Surge ability; Jeff gains It’s Jeff-nado! ability.
  • Operation Microchip: The Punisher and Black Widow; Punisher gains maximum health increase and damage boost; Black Widow unlocks Pulse Rifle ability.
  • Rocket Network: Peni Parker and Rocket Raccoon; Rocket gains increased healing effects and upgraded B.R.B. to Web Beacon; Peni unlocks Armored Spider-Nest ability.
  • Stark Protocol: Iron Man and Ultron; Iron Man gains damage boost; Ultron gains Nano-Ray ability.
  • Symbiote Shenanigans: Jeff the Land Shark and Venom; Venom gains maximum health increase; Jeff gains Healing Tendrils ability.
• Adjusted/Removed Team-Ups:
  • Allied Agents: Black Widow and Hawkeye; Team-Up Anchor effect and abilities removed.
  • Ammo Overload: Rocket Raccoon and The Punisher; Team-Up Anchor effect and abilities removed.
  • Chilling Charisma: Luna Snow and Jeff the Land Shark; Team-Up Anchor effect and abilities removed.
  • Gamma Charge: Hulk – Iron Man/Namor; Iron Man loses Gamma Overdrive ability.
  • Symbiote Bond: Venom, Peni Parker/Spider-Man; Team-Up Anchor effect and abilities removed.