Read our Season 2 tier list to discover the best heroes to play, the impact of hero balance changes, new character rankings, and how the tournament shapes the meta.
Best Characters Ranked in Season 2 Tier List
Season 2 is shaking things up, introducing Emma Frost and a bunch of balancing changes that are set to break away from the 3-healer meta. Dive into our Tier List to find out how these changes impact the rankings of your favorite Marvel heroes.
S-Tier
Season 2 kicks off with a fiery start, and Emma Frost is already proving to be a standout Vanguard. With her ability to shield her allies and dish out great damage, Emma Frost brings a complete package to the table.
For the rest of our S-tier heroes, Here's an in-depth look and the reason why they're S-tier:
| Hero (Role) | Evaluation details |
|---|---|
| Adam Warlock (Strategist) | Adam Warlock's ultimate ability has always been a double-edged sword—while reviving fallen allies is undeniably powerful, the low HP they return with often makes them easy targets. In Season 2, this issue is addressed with a significant buff to his ultimate ability. Now, revived allies will return with up to 30% of their maximum HP, giving them a far better chance to re-enter the fight and make an impact. This change not only increases Warlock's utility as a support hero but also improves team survivability in critical moments and cements his status as an S-tier hero for 2 consecutive seasons. |
| Cloak & Dagger (Strategist) | Cloak and Dagger are an absolute standout duo, holding a solid win rate from Bronze all the way to Grandmaster. What’s even more impressive is how they shine even brighter at Celestial and higher ranks, proving just how reliable and versatile this character is. The recent balance changes didn’t touch them-no buffs, but more importantly, no nerfs either, meaning they keep their spot at the top of the food chain. For now, Cloak and Dagger comfortably remain in the S-tier, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. |
| Doctor Strange (Vanguard) | Despite the nerf to his overall damage output in Season 2, Doctor Strange continues to shine as an S-tier hero. His new team-up ability with Scarlet Witch not only makes him more indispendsable but also opens up opportunities for creative plays like portal tricking with Reality Erasure, which are bound to appear more often in higher ranks. With this powerful duo in action, Doctor Strange remains a go-to pick in competitive play and a staple in top-tier team compositions this season. |
| Emma Frost (Vanguard) | Emma Frost is a very powerful Vanguard that rewards technical gameplay by utilizing her two forms. |
| Hela (Duelist) | Hela, the Goddess of Death, takes a hit to her mobility this season but compensates with a slight boost to her offensive capabilities. The cooldown for Astral Flock has been increased, slowing her ability to reposition frequently, but Piercing Night now deals more damage so she's staying in the S-tier. |
| Hulk (Vanguard) | The Hulk saw a decline in his pick rate toward the end of last season, but his strong win rate percentage still proves his effectiveness on the battlefield. This season introduces a mobility buff to his kit, which may help him regain traction in competitive play. However, he continues to be overshadowed by The Thing, whose easy-to-learn mechanics make him a more accessible and appealing choice for players. |
| Invisible Woman (Strategist) | Despite getting a decrease to her shield this Season 2, Invisible Woman remains a standout among healers because of her entire kit and ultimate ability that can be use to swing rounds or start big pushes. |
| Loki (Strategist) | Despite increasing Loki's Regeneration Domain cooldown from 25 seconds to 30 seconds. He's still is one of the few heroes with the greatest potential to upset opposing teams. |
| Luna Snow (Strategist) | Luna Snow is the best hero in the game. Her ultimate ability is hands down the best ultimate ability in the game, she has a stun, mobility kit, and great healing. There's no other hero in Season 1.5 that can matchup against Luna Snow's value in any team composition. |
| Magneto (Vanguard) | Another hero used widely in the tournament is Magneto. In the right hands, Magneto is a hero who has the ability to flip losing battles by the timely use of his ultimate ability. Usually paired with the Hulk to provide shielding to allies, he's one of the few heroes who's a true counter to Luna Snow and Iron Man. |
| Namor (Duelist) | Namor continues to dominate as an S-tier hero in Season 2, offering incredible value to his team. Losing the Frozen Spawn team-up ability from his team-up with Luna Snow hasn't slowed him down, and if anything, his new Gamma Monstro team-up ability from teaming up with The Hulk has made him even more dangerous. It’s a game-changer for this hero and this team-up ability will quickly turn him into one of the best one-on-one duelists out there. Whether he’s locking down choke points or taking on opponents head-to-head, Namor proves he’s a powerhouse this season. |
| Star-Lord (Duelist) | Star-Lord has been a staple in ranked competition and oftentimes even getting the better of his diver counterpart in Psylocke. While his primary and secondary aren't as strong as Psylocke's, his ability to harass, continuously be a threat to backlines, and do run-and-gun tactics against opposing squishes and backline heroes puts him in a better spot than Psylocke who needs careful management to decide which targets to take out. |
| Storm (Duelist) | Storm started out as one of the worst heroes in the game but she's been buffed to the high heavens at the start of Season 1, and while she's received nerfs since then that affected her damage fall-off and ability to buff allies, she remains one of the best duelists in the game and with the rise in double-flyer team compositions, she might be a mainstay in the S-tier for Season 2. |
| Wolverine (Duelist) | Despite receiving some nerfs at the start of Season 2, Wolverine's relentless playstyle and ability to dominate melee combat keep him firmly at the top of the tier list. Players skilled at harnessing his Rage effectively will continue to find success with this feral powerhouse. |
A-Tier
A-tier heroes are solid choices if S-tier heroes are unavailable. One of the highlights of the Season 2 update is Scarlet Witch's new team-up ability with Doctor Strange, and it’s not a stretch to imagine Wanda climbing her way into the higher ranks this season.
| Hero (Role) | Evaluation details |
|---|---|
| Groot (Vanguard) | Groot is undoubtedly one of the most challenging heroes to master, but his unique abilities make him a force to be reckoned with for those willing to put in the effort. His ability to defend objectives, create artificial chokepoints, and tank most ultimate abilities or obstruct vision using his walls can oftentimes be the game winning play that saves the team. |
| Human Torch (Duelist) | Human Torch is heating things up in Season 2, securing his spot in A-tier with improvements that make him feel sharper in combat. His Fire Cluster attack is faster now, giving Johnny a smoother and more aggressive edge during fights. Flaming Meteor, while seeing a cooldown increase, brings a new bonus health effect on activation. This tweak boosts his survivability, letting him weather the storm for a few extra seconds in critical moments. |
| Iron Fist (Duelist) | Iron Fist climbs the A-tier this season, and his adjustments make him even more effective in the right scenarios. His effectiveness against Vanguards sees a noticeable improvement, with higher percentage-based damage that allows him to thrive in matchups against tankier opponents. Mobility gets a slight boost with a reduced cooldown for K’un-Lun Kick, giving him more opportunities to quickly escape and reposition. |
| Iron Man (Duelist) | Iron Man solidifies his position as an A-tier hero in Season 2, thanks to key updates that enhance his freedom to fly around the battlefield. His hitbox size has been slightly reduced, making him harder to snipe in the air. Additionally, his new feature grants him 100 bonus health when activating either Armor Overdrive or Gamma Overdrive which can provide a valuable edge in clutch situations. |
| Magik (Duelist) | Magik can make quick work of squishy backlines but being a melee hero means she requires constant teamwork and communication to coordinate targets and get healing. |
| Mantis (Strategist) | Mantis is second to Luna Snow in terms of ultimate healing abilities and cements her place in Season 1.5 as one of the better healers and damage boosters in the game. |
| Moon Knight (Duelist) | Moon Knight stays firmly in A-tier this season, thanks to updates that refine his abilities and give players more opportunities to shine. His Crescent Dart moves faster now, making it easier to land hits, while Moon Blade brings a brand new perk, bonus health with each enemy struck. Additionally, Hand of Khonshu, his ultimate ability, is deadlier than ever with its extended duration, faster talon generation, and enhanced spell field mechanics. The added damage falloff means placement matters even more, but these buffs already make Moon Knight a stronger contender in competitive play and likely to shine in higher ranks. |
| Peni Parker (Vanguard) | One of Peni Parker’s biggest weaknesses has always been her lack of mobility, she feels sluggish and unable to keep up in fast-paced situations. Her wall-climbing ability doesn’t do much to help either, often feeling more like a gimmick than a useful tool in battle. Season 2 changes all that by giving Peni some much-needed upgrades. She now has a chance to land critical hits with her primary weapon, adding more firepower to her kit. The movement speed penalty while firing has also been reduced, making her feel much smoother and quicker during combat. On top of that, her health has received a massive boost from 650 to 750, giving her the durability to hold objectives longer and stay in fights without being easily overwhelmed. These updates could finally make Peni a stronger, more reliable option for competitive play. |
| Psylocke (Duelist) | Psylocke has been overshadowed by Star-Lord, whose performance in the ultimate stage has garnered more positive outcomes. While she remains a strong choice and a superior flanker compared to most divers, her cooldowns become her worst enemy in fast-paced gameplay. |
| Scarlet Witch (Duelist) | At first glance, Scarlet Witch might seem nerfed in Season 2, as her survivability took a hit with Mystic Projection’s cooldown increased from 8 to 10 seconds and her phase time reduced to just 1.5 seconds. However, her new team-up ability with Doctor Strange has significantly boosted her damage output, more than making up for these vulnerabilities. This devastating one-two punch is so effective that you can expect Scarlet Witch to become a dominant force in the higher ranks. |
| Spider-Man (Duelist) | A Spider-Man in your team can most often be the difference between winning or losing in the higher ranks and while his high learning curve already makes new players allergic to this hero, he remains one of the best divers in the game. |
| The Thing (Vanguard) | While The Thing takes a 5% nerf to his damage reduction, it’s nowhere near enough to shake his position as a rock-solid vanguard this season. His ability to shrug off crowd control effects and thrive in aggressive playstyles keeps him as reliable as ever. If you’re looking for a dependable melee vanguard who can hold his ground and deliver consistent performance, The Thing remains a solid choice. |
| Venom (Vanguard) | Venom ascends to the A-tier in this season's tier list. He has undergone numerous changes since Season 0, but perhaps the most significant adjustment is the Season 1.5 buff, which allows for more frequent use of his ultimate ability. |
| Winter Soldier (Duelist) | Winter Soldier moves down to A-tier this season, with adjustments that negatively impact his ability to wipe out teams. Bionic Hook now has a longer cooldown, forcing players to be more strategic in using it. Kraken Impact, his ultimate ability, has lower base damage, but the reduced culling threshold will still allow him to finish off weakened enemies effectively. While these changes slightly scale back his dominance as we've seen in the tournament, Bucky’s precision and ability to shine in key moments keep him a reliable choice in competitive play. |
B-Tier
These heroes can be effective in the right hands or specific situations but they lack the impact of higher-tier characters to become a powerhouse. The Season 2 update brings much-needed buffs to Thor and Hawkeye so expect to see more of these heroes in ranked competition.
| Hero (Role) | Evaluation details |
|---|---|
| Captain America (Vanguard) | Captain America saw a noticeable rise in his pick rate toward the end of the previous season, thanks to some buffs sprinkled here and there. However, despite these improvements, he struggles to carve out a niche in competitive play. Other heroes continue to outshine him in team compositions, excelling in roles where Captain America just can’t compete as effectively. |
| Hawkeye (Duelist) | The recent update brings useful changes to Hawkeye's mechanic since you can now do charged shots faster and he's getting closer and closer now to being the "Hanzo" of the game. His Hypersonic arrow gets a damage boost and the frequency that he can unleash his ultimate ability has increased. As we go through the season, it will be interesting to see more of Hawkeye in the higher ranks and how a "true sniper" will affect the current meta. |
| Mister Fantastic (Duelist) | Mister Fantastic stretches his way up to B-tier this season, thanks to a series of thoughtful adjustments that enhance his versatility. Reed’s base health has been slightly increased, giving him more staying power in fights. His primary now deals more damage, especially in his Inflated state, while Flexible Elongation gains a new slowing effect, adding much-needed crowd control to his kit. Additionally, his ultimate, Brainiac Bounce, now provides a burst of bonus health upon activation, equal to the health gained from his Inflated state. These changes makes his role as a crossover between a tank and a DPS much bearable in competitive mode. |
| Squirrel Girl (Duelist) | Squirrel Girl remains in the B-tier for Season 2. This hero made a surprise appearance in the Asia and North American tournament which showcased a lot of positives in a high-rank competition that featured her abilities to deal damage and hold an objective by keeping opponents afar. Her other ability to imprison enemies is a death sentence to any healer or would-be flanker. |
| The Punisher (Duelist) | The Punisher remains a solid hero since Marvel Rivals' launch and going to Season 1.5. However, players are now used to seeing The Punisher and there are now more ways than one to counter his abilities. He's also outshined by Winter Soldier who has a more lethal ultimate ability. The Punisher remains a solid choice especially for beginners trying out ranked. |
| Thor (Vanguard) | Thor just received a health and movement buff this season so it’ll be exciting to see if these changes help him break out of his underwhelming status and finally boost his pick rate in competitive play. With better durability and mobility, Thor might just find his way into more team compositions this season. |
C-Tier
You might encounter these heroes occasionally in the lower ranks, but they require reworks or buffs to perform better.
| Hero (Role) | Evaluation details |
|---|---|
| Black Panther (Duelist) | Black Panther didn’t receive any updates for Season 2, leaving his abilities untouched. He remains one of the few heroes with a high skill ceiling and requires players to master precise timing and strategy to unlock his full potential. While his mobility and burst damage can be game-changing in the right hands, his lack of updates means he hasn’t gained any new tools to compete with more versatile or recently buffed heroes. Despite this, Black Panther’s unique playstyle continues to appeal to dedicated players who enjoy the challenge of mastering his kit. His ability to close gaps quickly and deal devastating damage makes him a strong pick for those willing to invest the time to perfect their gameplay. However, without updates to enhance his versatility or survivability, he's constantly overshadowed by heroes with more accessible mechanics such as Star-Lord or Psylocke. For now, Black Panther remains a niche choice at C-tier, rewarding skilled players but struggling to find widespread success in competitive ranks. |
| Jeff The Land Shark (Strategist) | Jeff is a fun mascot to play in non-competitive game modes. This cute landshark has decent healing capabilities but his ultimate ability now works like a funny meme used for clip farming. |
| Rocket Raccoon (Strategist) | Rocket Raccoon takes a hard fall to C-tier this season, with significant nerfs that compromise both his mobility and effectiveness in supporting teammates. His Repair Mode healing spheres now cover less ground, and the reduced healing rate only slightly offsets the new one-time heal mechanic, which feels underwhelming in fast-paced battles. Jetpack Dash is noticeably weaker, with a longer cooldown and shorter range, leaving Rocket struggling to reposition as quickly as before. Rocket feels like one of the most nerfed hero this season, with his ultimate ability C.Y.A getting a damage boost reduction from 40% to only 25% which makes Rocket’s utility as a healer with mobility now far less appealing |
D-Tier
Never play any hero in this category during ranked competition or else you'll be immediately accused of throwing the game. Heroes in this tier should be played only in unranked game modes.
| Hero (Role) | Evaluation details |
|---|---|
| Black Widow (Duelist) | It’s Season 2, and sad to say, Black Widow is still struggling to find her place in competitive mode. Despite numerous updates and reworks, her lack of a one-shot headshot ability continues to hold her back, making her underwhelming compared to other heroes in the current meta. The changes made to her kit feel lackluster at best and it fails to elevate her potential or address her glaring weaknesses. |
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