Is Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 Really That Bad? Flats Weighs In on the Meta, Tank Balance, and Community Overreaction ⇒ MarvelRivalsHub

With Season 3.5 of Marvel Rivals now live, some players are calling it Season 2.9 — claiming little has changed, the meta feels stale, and the overall vibe isn’t hitting. But is the negativity warranted? Flats Two took a deep dive into what’s actually going on this season — from hero balance to meta trends to why people are mad, and whether they even should be.

Spoiler alert: it’s not all doom and gloom.

“Everyone’s Calling It Season 2.9 – But Why?”

Flats kicked things off by addressing the meme that’s spreading around — the idea that this season is just a minor patch disguised as a major update. But he doesn’t buy it.

“We’re only two days in, and I’ve already seen people write the whole thing off. What happened? It felt fine to me.”

According to Flats, the negativity seems to be less about actual gameplay and more about community expectations.

Wolverine Still Reigns, BP Is Back, and Thor? Not So Much.

Let’s talk meta. According to Flats, Season 3.5 is still burst-heavy, and that favors some heroes more than others.

Top Dogs This Season:

Wolverine – Still “OP as f***”
Storm
Punisher
Psylocke
Human Torch
Phoenix
Hela
Ne’mar
Black Panther – Recently fixed bugs = huge win rate spike

On the Struggle Bus:

Thor – Lost his survivability and never got it back
Penny Parker – Meta-dependent but statistically dominant in low/mid ranks

“Thor kind of just blows now. I actually liked the rework, but he just doesn’t have the tools to keep up in this burst meta.”

Penny Is S-Tier… But Only If You’re Low ELO

Penny has the highest win rate in the game, but Flats explains why that doesn’t tell the full story.

“The higher up you go, the worse Penny gets — unless you’re a specialist. But in mid-ranks? She’s a demon.”

So if you’re Silver to Platinum, Penny can hard-carry, especially with Black Panther surging. But in coordinated team play, her value drops.

“Tanks Are Bad” – Another Misconception?

A big complaint this season is that tanks feel weak, but Flats pushes back.

“Most of the tanks are still pretty good. Thor is the exception. And Penny is weird. But otherwise? They’re fine.”

He also noted that even the lowest-tier tanks are only really struggling at the very top — and that most balance problems are more about matchmaking and team coordination, not raw numbers.

Support Meta? Still Luna’s World.

Luna Snow: Still arguably the best support in the game
Loki: Strong and consistent
Cloak and Dagger: Underrated, but rising
Mantis: Improved, but still reliant on triple support setups

“Mantis is better now, but not enough to justify over Luna or Invis unless you’re going full triple res.”

“People Are Louder Than Ever” – Why This Season Feels More Negative

Flats notes that a lot of the backlash may just be louder community voices, not a true reflection of the game’s state.

He pointed out how player counts actually surged at the start of Season 3.5:

Steam peak at 162k players on launch day
Average numbers more than doubled
Summer season = natural viewership/player dip

“Everyone goes outside in summer. Normies touch grass, go to the beach. That’s just how gaming works.”

He even broke it down from a streamer/business perspective — sponsors slow down in summer, viewership dips, and creators panic. But it’s seasonal, not a game issue.

Is Marvel Rivals Speedrunning Overwatch’s Mistakes?

One of Flats’ funnier (but kinda real) points was how Marvel Rivals seems to be:

“Speedrunning all of Overwatch’s worst decisions in like six months.”

He’s strongly against role queue, not because it’s inherently bad — but because he’s seen that movie before.

“Let this game write its own story. I already played the role queue timeline — let’s see what happens without it.”

Final Take – “So What’s Actually Bad This Season?”

According to Flats, most of the complaints boil down to:

Wolverine dominance
Thor being unplayable
Black Panther bug fix making him feel broken
Some characters still being team-up reliant
Summer dip in player focus/viewership

But overall? The game is fine. Maybe not revolutionary this patch, but certainly not as bad as the loudest voices claim.

“Nothing’s truly horrendous anymore. Even Black Widow and Switch have their moments in certain ranks.”

TL;DR – The Season’s Not Dead, You’re Just Burnt Out

Whether you’re climbing or casual, Season 3.5 offers:

A stable, burst-heavy meta
More playable heroes than ever
Better support balance
A rise in aggressive flankers like BP and Wolverine

Just don’t expect every hero to be god-tier — and remember, it’s summer. Sometimes you’re just gaming less, not enjoying less.

Want more breakdowns like this, including hero tier lists, balance recaps, and pro insights? Visit MarvelRivalsHub for everything Marvel Rivals.
Source: Flats Two YouTube