Marvel Rivals Season 7 is about to shake up the meta in a big way. NetEase has officially published the Version 20260320 balance post, confirming a wide set of buffs, nerfs, and team-up changes ahead of the next update. The biggest headline is a global slowdown to Ultimate generation, which should make fights feel less chaotic and force teams to be a lot more deliberate about when they commit big abilities.
The update is tied to server maintenance scheduled for March 20 at 9 AM UTC. NetEase says the downtime is expected to last around two hours, meaning players should be able to jump into the new patch once maintenance ends, assuming there are no delays.
Marvel Rivals Season 7 balance patch release date
The Marvel Rivals Season 7 balance patch is set to arrive on March 20, 2026. Server maintenance begins at 9 AM UTC and is expected to run for approximately two hours. During that window, the game will be unavailable.
That timing also lines up with the official Version 20260320 balance post published by Marvel Rivals on March 17, which lays out the hero updates and larger gameplay adjustments coming with the patch.
The biggest Season 7 change is a global Ultimate nerf
If you have felt like matches were turning into nonstop Ultimate spam, this patch is clearly designed to address that. NetEase confirmed that Ultimate Ability charge rates are being nerfed across the board. According to the developer, roughly 80 percent of Ultimate energy comes from damage or healing conversion, and the new values should amount to around a 20 percent drop for Vanguards, Duelists, and Strategists overall.
For Vanguards and Duelists, damage to energy conversion drops from 90 percent to 70 percent, while passive Ultimate regeneration goes from 12 per second to 11. Strategists are also getting hit, with damage and healing to energy conversion reduced from 90 percent to 75 percent, and passive regen lowered from 12 per second to 8. In simple terms, everyone will need to work harder for their Ultimates, and triple Strategist comps should lose some of their current strength.
Vanguard buffs and nerfs in the Season 7 patch
The Vanguard roster is seeing a pretty mixed set of changes. Angela gets a blend of buffs and nerfs, with stronger grounded pressure and better bonus health values, but weaker flight harassment and a less oppressive Ultimate setup. Captain America gets a smoother interaction with Leading Dash and Sentinel Strike, though his Freedom Charge now gives allies less energy.
Deadpool’s Vanguard version is being toned down with lower damage reduction on his upgraded form and a longer Ultimate cooldown. Doctor Strange also takes a direct nerf, as Shield of the Seraphim drops from 800 to 700 shield value. Emma Frost loses some durability in Diamond Form, but her Ultimate becomes more threatening at range while also granting her 20 percent damage reduction during the ability.
Hulk is one of the bigger winners here. His Indestructible Guard now converts more absorbed damage into Ultimate charge, and Gamma Burst gets two charges with a shorter recovery after each use, even if its single hit damage is slightly reduced. Magneto also comes out looking stronger overall, with a faster Meteor M Ultimate projectile and improved internal cooldown balance between Metal Bulwark and Iron Bulwark.
Duelist changes could reshape the damage meta
The Duelist category has a little bit of everything. Black Panther gets a mobility buff with the second jump of Subtle Step, losing its cooldown after wall detach, which could make him even more slippery in the hands of strong players. Blade is also getting a meaningful push, with faster shotgun projectiles, more sword range, stronger lifesteal, and extra value from excess healing converting into bonus health. His Ultimate also gains a better healing reduction effect.
On the other hand, Daredevil loses some damage, bonus health, and damage reduction, while Hawkeye takes a base health cut from 275 to 250. Winter Soldier also sees his Roterstern Spell Field damage reduced. Elsa Bloodstone’s survivability goes down as well, with less bonus health and a harsher Instinct penalty on defeat.
Some Duelists land somewhere in the middle. Deadpool’s Duelist version gets more base health, but just like his other forms, his Ultimate cooldown is increased from 45 seconds to 60. Human Torch gets better ammo recovery for Blaze Cluster. Iron Man gets a cleaner Armor Overdrive with a faster startup and the ability to extend its duration through KOs. Magik loses some charged poke damage in normal form, but gains a bigger hitbox on Umbral Incursion and a faster Darkchild startup. Psylocke and Scarlet Witch also receive buffs that should make their pressure more consistent.
Strategist updates hit the support utility and Ultimate tempo
Strategists are not escaping this patch either. Deadpool’s Strategist version gets the same Ultimate cooldown nerf as his other variants, rising from 45 to 60 seconds. Gambit’s team utility is being adjusted, with reduced Ultimate charge acceleration and movement boost for allies, though his extra single-target explosive damage is increased.
Invisible Woman trades in combat sustain for better recovery outside direct fights. Guardian Shield healing is reduced from 25 per second to 15, but Covert Advance healing over time climbs from 20 to 30. Luna Snow, meanwhile, gets a nice quality of life buff through Idol Aura, which now reduces Ice Arts cooldown by two seconds whenever a hero affected by Idol Aura helps secure a KO.
Team Up abilities are changing in a big way
Season 7 is not just about raw hero stats. Team Ups are also being reworked. Duality Dance between Adam Warlock and Luna Snow is being removed, and Jeff Nado between Storm and Jeff the Land Shark is also gone. Those are two pretty notable removals, especially for players who built comps around them.
In their place, NetEase is introducing two new Team Ups. Blessing of the Kumiho links White Fox and Luna Snow, granting White Fox a 10 percent increase in healing effects as the Team Up Anchor while giving Luna Snow access to Spirit Fox Accord. Cosmic Cyclone pairs Storm with Adam Warlock, allowing Adam to gain Heavenly Harmony through the Team Up.
The clearest takeaway from these patch notes is that NetEase wants Marvel Rivals to slow down just a bit. Less Ultimate spam should create more room for neutral play, cleaner teamfight planning, and fewer matches that snowball off chained support Ultimates.
At the same time, several already popular picks are being checked, while characters like Hulk, Blade, Iron Man, Psylocke, and Luna Snow are getting tools that could push them further up the meta. Add in the Team Up changes, and Season 7 looks like one of those patches where players will need a few days to fully figure out what actually works.
Marvel Rivals Season 7 is shaping up to be more than just a routine balance pass. Between the broad Ultimate nerfs, targeted hero tuning, and fresh Team Up combinations, this update could have a real impact on how matches flow across every rank.
