10 Biggest Losers Season 5: DPS, Tank, Support - Marvel Rivals

Key Takeaways

• Season 5 launched with no direct hero nerfs at all — the "losers" are heroes that fell in relative meta standing as 20 other heroes received buffs around them.
• Black Panther dropped to D-tier due to increased defensive capabilities in the meta: Invisible Woman's shields, Gambit's peel, and Groot's Unstoppable now absorb his burst windows.
• Thor, Ultron, and Scarlet Witch all received zero changes in Season 5 while more than a dozen heroes around them were buffed — making them relative underperformers.
• Four team-up removals created indirect nerfs: Lunar Force, Operation: Microchip, Mental Projection (Magneto variant), and Chilling Assault (Hawkeye variant) were all retired.
• The aerial meta weakened significantly, pulling Iron Man and Human Torch down in the tier list as ground-oriented heroes like Groot and new addition Gambit rose.
• Luna Snow lost her Chilling Assault Hawkeye variant, and Emma Frost lost the Magneto variant of Mental Projection — both are indirect nerfs via team-up removal.
• Doctor Strange remains worth learning despite his relative decline: his Portal mechanics are irreplaceable for team coordination at any skill level.

With Season 5's power-creep picture clear, here is a closer look at each hero's situation.

How Season 5 Created Meta Losers

Season 5 "Love is a Battlefield" is the first Marvel Rivals season to launch with no direct hero nerfs. Every hero on this list fell in relative meta standing because the heroes around them were buffed — 20 heroes received upgrades at Season 5 launch, per the official Season 5 balance post. Heroes who received zero changes became relatively weaker by comparison, not because of stat cuts but through power creep from their peers.

1. Black Panther

Black Panther finds himself struggling in the current meta. The Season 5 buffs to support characters — including enhanced survivability from Invisible Woman's shields, Gambit's peel toolkit, and Groot's Unstoppable — make it harder for Black Panther to find clean elimination windows. Heroes like Groot and Daredevil, common in many compositions, can absorb or dodge his burst rotation. When opponents have time to coordinate, Black Panther's lack of margin for error becomes a real liability. He can still excel by catching opponents off-guard, but at higher skill levels he is increasingly hard to justify over other Duelists.

2. Thor

Thor entered Season 5 without changes while other tanks received buffs. Groot in particular benefited from Season 5 upgrades, making him the stronger ground-anchor choice in most compositions. Thor retains some synergy in specific compositions, especially where banning problematic opponents is an option, but in general the buffed tank pool has pushed him down the priority list. He is playable, but the gap between Thor and the Season 5 top tanks widened at launch.

3. Ultron

Ultron's standing has dwindled this season. Previously useful in triple-support strategies, Ultron hasn't received the buffs that other Strategists have. With new addition Gambit and Rocket Raccoon gaining cooldown improvements and projectile speed upgrades, Ultron feels outclassed on flexibility. He can still offer utility against specific strategies like hyper-dive compositions, but without any Season 5 buffs he remains one of the weaker Strategist options heading into the new meta.

Competitive Landscape: Season 5 Meta Overview

The following table compares how Season 5 buffed and non-buffed characters are performing across roles:

This pattern repeats across the Season 5 roster: heroes without buffs fell in relative standing while those who received upgrades rose.

Notable DPS Characters Falling in Season 5

Scarlet Witch's Decline

Scarlet Witch is experiencing a fall in relevance this season. Once a reliable pick in lower-skill gameplay, she now struggles to hold her ground as the meta shifts toward characters with higher skill ceilings and more consistent output. Without any Season 5 changes, players picking Scarlet Witch face several obstacles:

1. No Season 5 Buffs: No improvements this season, making her less viable compared to the 20 heroes who received upgrades.
2. Ultimate Consistency: Getting reliable value from her ultimate requires setup that many opponents can now deny.
3. Limited Versatility: Little synergy with the new Season 5 team-up additions, limiting her integration into optimal compositions.

With many stronger Duelist options available, Scarlet Witch is a challenging pick in competitive play for most of the player base.

Doctor Strange: Still Worth Learning

Despite sitting on the lower half of the Duelist tier, Doctor Strange remains a valuable character to learn. Though he received no Season 5 buffs and faces rising competition, his Portal mechanics are irreplaceable:

• Portal Mastery: Essential for team coordination regardless of playstyle — portals can reposition an entire team or create high-ground angles impossible otherwise.
• Counterplay Ceiling: He is challenging to play against mobile, gap-closing Duelists, but skilled Doctor Strange players can punish positioning mistakes reliably.

Doctor Strange's mechanics continue to hold value across tiers. His relative decline in Season 5 is a meta shift, not a kit problem.

Loki's Inadequate Buff

Loki received a buff in Season 5, but the changes were not large enough to close the gap with other Strategists who also received upgrades. He remains a playable pick, but several support options now offer better output or survivability for the same slot:

• Buff Insufficiency: Improvements were marginal relative to the enhancements received by Rocket Raccoon and Invisible Woman.
• Competitive Pressure: In high-stakes matches, stronger Strategist options like Gambit and Rocket Raccoon are typically preferred.

Human Torch and Iron Man's Struggles

Both Human Torch and Iron Man are finding it difficult to maintain their footing this season. The meta has shifted away from aerial combat — analysts note that ground-oriented heroes like Groot and new Strategist Gambit now dominate team compositions, reducing the value of characters whose kit depends on airspace:

• Increased Counters: Many Season 5 buffed characters have abilities that apply sustained pressure to airborne heroes, limiting safe hover windows.
• Survivability Issues: Without robust survivability tools, Iron Man and Human Torch are punished quickly in the current ground-centric meta.

Not every Season 5 decline comes from stat gaps — some heroes lost ground through team-up retirements that cost them established synergies.

Indirect Losers: Team-Up Removals

Some Season 5 losers didn't lose stats — they lost team-up synergies. Four team-ups were retired at Season 5 launch:

• Luna Snow lost the Hawkeye variant of Chilling Assault, reducing her team-synergy toolkit.
• Emma Frost lost the Magneto variant of Mental Projection, narrowing her team-up options.
• Psylocke lost the Cloak & Dagger + Moon Knight variant (Lunar Force was removed), affecting some compositions that relied on her as an anchor.

None of these heroes were directly nerfed, but losing an active team-up creates real competitive opportunity cost in organized play.

Rising Competition Among Support Heroes

Several Strategist and Vanguard heroes are finding it increasingly difficult to justify a slot as Season 5's newly buffed options step up:

1. Jeff the Land Shark: Still provides strong battlefield control and Strategist utility, but with Rocket Raccoon and Gambit both receiving upgrades, Jeff the Land Shark's utility isn't as uniquely impactful as it was in earlier seasons.
2. Luna Snow: Despite reliable healing output and strong damage capabilities, the enhanced abilities of Invisible Woman and Rocket Raccoon now offer better raw impact in most compositions.

These shifts reflect how a buff-heavy patch can reshape the entire roster without touching a single hero's base stats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Were any Marvel Rivals heroes directly nerfed in Season 5?

No. Season 5 launched with no direct hero nerfs — it is the first Rivals season without stat reductions at launch. The closest things to nerfs are Magneto's shield value reduced from 250 to 200, and The Thing's Stone Haymaker base damage adjusted as part of a broader rework that also gave him buffs.

Why is Black Panther considered a Season 5 loser?

Black Panther received no Season 5 buffs while the heroes around him were upgraded. In particular, Invisible Woman's new shields, Gambit's peel and anti-heal toolkit, and Groot's Unstoppable ability now close the burst windows Black Panther needs to score picks. His D-tier placement reflects the meta moving around him, not a direct kit nerf.

What is Gambit's role in Marvel Rivals?

Gambit is a Strategist — the support role. He joined as the 44th hero in Season 5 with a kit that combines kinetic-card healing, ally cleansing, and burst damage. Despite dealing damage, his primary function is sustaining and empowering teammates, not replacing Duelists.

Did Squirrel Girl fall in Season 5?

No. Squirrel Girl was buffed in Season 5 (Burst Acorn damage boosted) and is better classified as a winner or neutral character this season, not a loser. If you are assessing the Season 5 meta, she should be removed from any "biggest losers" framing.

Which heroes lost team-up synergies in Season 5?

Luna Snow lost the Hawkeye variant of Chilling Assault. Emma Frost lost the Magneto variant of Mental Projection. Psylocke and Moon Knight lost Lunar Force entirely. Punisher and Black Widow lost Operation: Microchip. These team-up removals represent indirect nerfs for all affected heroes.

Is Iron Man worth playing in Marvel Rivals Season 5?

Iron Man remains viable in the hands of skilled players but faces a difficult meta in Season 5. The shift toward ground-control compositions reduces his aerial advantage, and several buffed heroes can now counter his hover patterns more consistently. He is not unplayable, but other Duelists offer more reliable output in the current environment. Players looking to climb in Marvel Rivals Season 5 can find additional resources on WowCarry's Marvel Rivals Competitive Mode page.