What are These Balance Changes?! Elsa Bloodstone and Season 6.5 | Rival Banter - Episode 45

Marvel Rivals Season 6.5 is almost here, but the patch notes have the community asking one question: What were they thinking? In Episode 45 of Rival Banter, Luke and Seth break down the "weirdest" balance patch yet.

While the meta is currently dominated by Triple Support and Poke comps, NetEase seems to have ignored the problem entirely. Instead, we're seeing ultimate buffs for heroes like Punisher, Star-Lord, and Wolverine—heroes many players feel were already in a healthy spot. We discuss why these changes feel out of touch with the actual state of the game and what it means for the upcoming ranked climb.

In the News:

Monster Kingdom Event Pass: New animal-inspired looks for Squirrel Girl, Rocket, and Jeff.

Marvel Rivals Ignite 2026: The 12 partner teams are locked! We look at the orgs joining the fray, including Sentinels, TSM, and Liquid.

Industry Shift: NetEase closes its Gen-AI R&D department.

Topic: Season 6.5 Reveal & Meta Rant

Elsa Bloodstone First Look: She’s a Duelist with a monster-summoning kit, but can she compete in a poke-heavy meta?

The "Fantastic" Breakup: The original Fantastic Four team-up is being removed. We talk about the new synergies for The Thing and Mr. Fantastic and why this change feels so sudden.

The Balance Blunder: Why did Punisher and Star-Lord get ult buffs? We dive into the frustration of the Triple Support meta being left untouched and the lack of dive compensation.

Valentine's in Times Square: Gambit and Rogue are getting a "Wedding Parade" event.

🛡️ JOIN THE DISCORD Join the Rival Banter community! https://discord.gg/H6HDVtKv8V Support the Show: ⭐ Listening on Spotify? Please leave us a 5-star review! It’s the best way to help the show grow. 📱 Follow us on Socials: linktr.ee/RivalBanter