Since February 10th, Overwatch has undergone a massive transformation, introducing new heroes and revamping core gameplay systems. This move successfully recaptured the attention of both veteran and new players, causing Overwatch’s player count to surge past Marvel Rivals by tens of thousands.
The situation escalated on February 11th when Marvel Rivals announced a new character, Elsa Bloodstone, alongside a series of hero balance updates. However, these changes proved to be the "final straw" for the community. Fans expressed deep frustration with the Combat Design Lead, arguing that the balance adjustments missed the mark and left the game in a broken state. This wave of dissatisfaction has led to a unified outcry from the player base, with many demanding that the Combat Design Lead be removed from their position.
Let’s dive into the details of this developing story
The current outcry for the removal of the Combat Design Lead is the result of long-standing issues within Marvel Rivals. Fans have grown increasingly frustrated with the combat design team, led by Zhiyong, who they feel has failed to implement any meaningful changes that meet player expectations.
A primary example of this dissatisfaction is the dominance of the long-range "Poke" meta. Heroes like Hela, Winter Soldier, Phoenix, and Hawkeye are currently overpowering due to their high damage output. Meanwhile, the game lacks powerful "dive" or breakthrough options to effectively counter these long-range threats. Even the latest balance updates in Season 6.5 did little to shift this meta, leaving players feeling that their concerns are being ignored
One of the most frustrating characters is Phoenix, a "poke" hero who has been the subject of numerous complaints. Although she was recently nerfed, the adjustment was a mere slight reduction in HP, which fans feel is insufficient. Meanwhile, other dominant heroes like Hela and Hawkeye remained completely untouched.
Furthermore, players are disgruntled by changes to the Ultimate ability economy, with several characters now finding it harder to charge their Ultimates. However, the most controversial move involves Star-Lord. Despite already being a strong pick, the developers inexplicably buffed him by increasing his Ultimate charge rate—a decision that has led to him dominating matches and "shredding" opponents with ease
To put it simply, this is yet another disappointing balance patch that has caused Marvel Rivals fans to lose all faith in Zhiyong, the Combat Design Lead. On the Marvel Rivals Subreddit, the community is flooded with posts calling for him to step down or for NetEase to fire him entirely.
One user, ChihuahuaOwner88, stated bluntly, "This guy seriously needs to be fired." In the same thread, Scorpionghost04 agreed, venting their frustration over the game's balance direction: "Honestly, I agree. I’m so tired of these garbage buffs being given to characters that don't even need them, while the heroes that actually need a rework or a real buff get absolutely nothing useful
In another thread titled bluntly "FIRE ZHIYONG," user Khal_Brodo_ argued, "This man is unfit for the job." They pointed out that meta-defining characters remain virtually untouched, while the much-hated "3-Support meta" continues to flourish. This particular playstyle is despised by the majority of the player base (you could easily run into 3-Support compositions in 8 out of 10 matches).
With tensions running this high, Marvel Rivals needs to take decisive action to restore fan confidence. If they don't, Overwatch might just pull ahead for good—who knows?
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