The new balance changes for Marvel Rivals didn’t just tweak a few numbers—it reshaped the meta. Hela, Luna, and Hawkeye have been buffed to counter fliers— especially the newest one, Ultron— while others have been nerfed into the void. So who’s on the sidelines? Last season it was Groot, Hulk, Black Panther, and Spiderman, but this season? Rocket Raccoon and more.
Best Hero Bans for Marvel Rivals Season 2.5
Hela
The Goddess of Death is no slouch, and is one of the most banned in high-tier play for a reason. Her headshots are killer and she shoots fast. So guess what? They boosted her Nightsword Thorn capacity. Now she has 10 instead of 8 shots, and that’s more than enough to make her a top ban contender—especially in Diamond and above.
Hawkeye
A good Hawkeye might be rare, but his buffs are about to make his a common enemy. Base damage is up, but the real terror will be his team-up. With Luna Snow he can freeze enemies in an area then headshot them one at a time. Horror show. Drop the ban quick and heavy if you’re a flier this season.
The Punisher
Ol’ Frank Castle’s always been a reliable damage dealer, but his new team-up threatens to make him a one-man SWAT team. A small health and damage buff that will have him on the front lines shotgunning while Black Widow spots him with piercing sniper fire.
Luna Snow
Luna is another hero banned in the high ranks, and they buffed her. Bonus health, better healing and a 15% healing buff as team-up anchor. Her Ult costs more now, but the fact that she buffs Hawkeye so much will be enough to ban her alone.
Rocket Raccoon
Despite a slight drop in survival last season, Rocket’s been buffed and buffed again with a new team-up. It’s a surprising choice, since the slippery weasel already has the highest winrate in the game. With upgrades to both Peni Parker and his own kit, the teamup promises to make him a bigger menace on attacking maps, and just in general.
Hulk
Hulk’s been banned all season, and despite losing Iron Man in his teamup, he hasn’t changed much. While others got toned down or reworked, Hulk remains a dominant force—especially in dive comps and frontline brawls. He’s as durable as ever, and that alone can justify a ban when your team needs breathing room.
Iron Man & Other Flyers
The flyer meta means that any flier is usually a safe ban, but with the Ultron-Iron Man team-up, Tony is king of the skies. Storm, Human Torch, and Ultron are also safe bans, but players who are actually good at these heroes are much rarer than Iron Man pros.
Conclusion
When the meta settles, Ultron may be a hard-ban, but from the looks of it he might just be a DPS/Healer mix that’ll leave a lot of players complaining they need more heals. Either way, the banhammer will be falling heavy this season, so if you play the heroes above, it might be time to branch out.