Rival Banter: A Marvel Rivals Podcast

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 DISCORDJoin 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

Is the Merc with a Mouth actually a "Merc with a Loss"? In Episode 44 of Rival Banter, Luke and Seth break down the new data showing every version of Deadpool currently sits at a sub-50% win rate. Is he underpowered, or are people just playing him like a bot?
We kick things off with a game of "Guess the Quote" to test our Marvel knowledge, followed by our personal stories from the ranked climb and our progress through the Lord ranks.
In the News:
New Cosmetics: A first look at the Groot Mecha-Flora and Magneto Seat of Autumn skins.
The "Thick" Debate: Does the new Psylocke skin actually change her model by 0.02m? We look at the Reddit findings.
Deadpool’s Secrets: Why only Deadpool can hear his specific voice lines with Galacta.
Fortnite x Rivals Wave 2: Breaking down the rumors of Luna Snow and Magik hitting Fortnite in the Feb 5th update.
Patch Notes: Reaction to the Clobberin’ Club, the Museum of Contemplation map launch, and the Flight Mode World Tour event.
The Main Topic: We look ahead to the future! What do we want to see in Season 6.5? From balance changes to new hero teases, we lay out our ultimate wishlist.
🛡️ JOIN THE DISCORDJoin the Rival Banter community! Everyone who joins now through the end of January will receive the exclusive Founders Role. https://discord.gg/H6HDVtKv8V 
Support the Show: ⭐ Listening on Spotify? Please leave us a 5-star review! It helps the show grow more than you know! 📱 Follow us on Socials: linktr.ee/RivalBanter

Mid-season is here and the Marvel Rivals community is loud! In Episode 43 of Rival Banter, Luke and Seth break down the latest news, the brand-new map trailer, and dive into a massive Mid-Season Mailbag to answer your burning questions.
We start with The News: Angela’s "Ace of Spades" and Emma Frost’s "Queen of Diamonds" are hitting the shop, and we discuss the community's mixed reactions to Emma’s latest look. We also break down the Museum of Contemplation map trailer—is this the most visually stunning map yet? Plus, we address the elephant in the room: the massive community outcry for Hawkeye nerfs. Is the one-shot meta ruining the fun?
In the Mid-Season Mailbag:
Is the Jeff hate valid? Are people actually playing the Land Shark wrong?
The Deadpool Dilemma: Is he top-tier meta, or is his pick rate just high because everyone loves Wade?
Balancing the Merc: What specific nerfs or changes would we actually give Deadpool?
Map Secrets: Will the Museum of Contemplation be the hub for future character teasers?
🛡️ JOIN THE DISCORDJoin the Rival Banter community! Everyone who joins now through the end of January will receive the exclusive Founders Role. https://discord.gg/H6HDVtKv8V 
Support the Show: ⭐ Listening on Spotify? Please leave us a 5-star review! It helps the show grow more than you know! 📱 Follow us on Socials: linktr.ee/RivalBanter

Deadpool has finally arrived in Marvel Rivals Season 6, and things are getting chaotic! In this week's episode of Rival Banter, Luke and Seth dive deep into the Merc with a Mouth, the Season 6 roadmap, and some spicy community drama.
Join the Rival Banter community! Everyone who joins now through the end of January will receive the exclusive Founders Role.  https://discord.gg/H6HDVtKv8V
We kick things off with our personal stories from the Season 6 rank climb, our placement match results, and the new Hero Proficiency changes. Plus, we share our first impressions of Deadpool—is he the game-changer we expected?
In our Draft segment, we’re reimagining the roster: 3 Characters We’d Give an Alternate Role To. Who belongs in the Vanguard slot, and who should be a Strategist?
In this episode:
Viewer Comments: Answering your thoughts from last week!
Season 6 Reactions: Deadpool impressions, the "Night at the Museum" theme, and patch changes.
The News: Thor’s "Boogie Bolt" and Luna’s "Disco Pop" skins, the full Season 6 Roadmap, and the viral story of a player removed from the Deadpool creator tournament over a Black Widow swap request.
Support the Show: ⭐ Listening on Spotify? Please leave us a 5-star review! 📱 Follow us on Socials: linktr.ee/RivalBanter

In Episode 41, Seth and Luke open with some housekeeping before responding to viewer comments and jumping into another week of ranked grind stories in Marvel Rivals, including ongoing headaches with the triple support meta.
Join our Discord Server! https://discord.gg/H6HDVtKv8V
They cover the latest news, including Pirate Deadpool entering the shop and a leak suggesting Marvel Rivals versions of Luna Snow and Magik are coming to Fortnite.
The bulk of the episode is dedicated to a full Season 6 reaction. Deadpool officially joins the roster with a unique in-match progression system, healing mechanics, and shield utility. A brand-new convoy map, the Museum of Contemplation, is on the way, alongside new social features like photo mode in Times Square and a Clobberin’ Club for 1v1 showdowns. Hero proficiency is getting a major upgrade, new accessories are coming for a wide range of heroes, MRC rewards are expanding, and college student perks are being added.
They also break down extensive balance changes across all roles, evolving team-up abilities, adjustments to Resource Rumble, the departure of Marvel Zombies with Season 6, and confirmation of a new PvE mode coming in 2026.
Housekeeping: follow us on social, leave a 5-star review on Spotify, and join the Discord for the Founders role through January
Community comments: responding to feedback from Episode 40
This week in Rivals: ranked climb stories and triple support frustrations
News roundup: Pirate Deadpool skin and Fortnite crossover leaks
Main topic: Season 6 deep dive — Deadpool gameplay, new maps and modes, hero progression upgrades, balance changes, and what all of this means for the future of Marvel Rivals
Drop your Season 6 reactions in the comments and subscribe for a new Rival Banter episode every Wednesday.

In Episode 40, Seth and Luke kick things off with housekeeping and viewer comments before jumping into their 2026 predictions. They recap their week in Marvel Rivals with stories from the ranked climb, reactions to Lady Loki’s release, and thoughts on the Christmas and New Year events.
Join our brand new Discord server! https://discord.gg/H6HDVtKv8V
Then they cover a busy news week — new Adam Warlock and Phoenix skins (plus the Ice Phoenix trailer), Deadpool becoming an entire map, and growing concerns around the bot problem in matchmaking.
The main topic is a full breakdown of the newly revealed Rivals Ignite 2026 format. Seth and Luke react to the more professional, mature direction of the league, the Pacific region merge, preseason plans, promotion and relegation, partner teams, revenue sharing, esports bundles, and the massive $3M prize pool.
Share your thoughts on Ignite 2026 and your own predictions in the comments, and subscribe for a new Rival Banter episode every Wednesday.

In Episode 39, Seth and Luke close out the year with some quick housekeeping before diving into viewer comments, a festive draft, and a full look at where Marvel Rivals stands heading into 2026. They recap their week in Rivals, check in on rank and Lord progress, and soak in Jeff’s Winter Splash before covering a packed slate of news.
Housekeeping: follow us on social, leave a 5-star review on Spotify, and a heads-up that we’re on holiday break next week and back in January
Community comments: responding to feedback from Episode 38
Draft segment: three things we’d ask Rivals Santa (Guangguang) for
This week in Rivals: Lord progress, rank updates, and Jeff’s Winter Splash
News roundup: God of Winter Thor and Ice Pas De Deux Cloak & Dagger skins, a new Captain America shooting-hoops emote, the New Year’s ball drop in Times Square, early looks at Rivals’ 2026 plans, and a new Marvel Rivals Spider-Man statue from McFarlane
Main topic: the state of Marvel Rivals at the end of 2025 — what worked, what still needs improvement, and why the team believes 2025 was only the warm-up
Drop your thoughts on Rivals’ year in review in the comments, and we’ll see you in January for the next episode of Rival Banter.

In Episode 38, Seth and Luke jump straight into a massive week for Marvel Rivals. They break down a flood of new skins, holiday events, and reveals before giving their full thoughts on where Season 5.5 stands right now.
News roundup: three new holiday skins dropping, Star-Lord’s Starcracker legendary, the full reveal of “Not Daredevil,” Peni’s Snow Spider skin and long-awaited out-of-mech emote, the Gone Nutty for Gifts event, Jeff’s Winter Wonderland returning with tweaks, and a Winter Unit giveaway on the 24th
Biggest reveal: Deadpool officially joins Marvel Rivals as a Duelist on January 16th, with Elsa Bloodstone teased at the end
Main topic: Season 5.5 impressions — how Rogue is performing so far, reactions to the latest balance changes, and whether the season is landing where it needs to
Share your thoughts on Deadpool, Rogue, and the current balance in the comments, and subscribe for a new Rival Banter episode every Tuesday.

In Episode 37, Seth and Luke kick things off by responding to viewer comments before jumping into this week’s draft: ranking the top three best half seasons in Marvel Rivals history.
They recap their week in Rivals and then dig into a packed news cycle: Rogue is officially joining the game as a Vanguard with the ability to steal abilities and drain ult charge, her Savage Land skin has been revealed, and the Season 5.5 Dev Vision video brings big updates to team-ups — including Emma’s new wall, Psylocke’s healing shuriken, and Rogue joining the Gambit/Mag duo with new AOE damage and healing tools. Plus, the Jeff Winter Event is returning and new holiday skins are on the way alongside fresh Season 5.5 balance changes.
Community comments: responding to feedback from Episode 36
Draft segment: the top 3 best half seasons in Marvel Rivals
This week in Rivals: highlights, big plays, and what we tested
News roundup: Rogue revealed as a Vanguard, Season 5.5 vision updates, holiday skins, Jeff Winter Event returning, and the latest balance changes
Main discussion woven throughout: reactions to Season 5.5 and what Rogue means for the meta
Drop your thoughts on Rogue and your favorite half seasons in the comments, and subscribe for a new Rival Banter episode every Tuesday.

In Episode 36, Seth and Luke celebrate one full year of Marvel Rivals by kicking things off with viewer comments and a festive draft: the five things they’re most thankful for in the game. After that, they dive into their week in Rivals, including early impressions of the Anniversary Event, hands-on thoughts about the new 18v18 mode, and predictions for Rivals Day.
Then it’s on to the news — possible leaks hinting at Deadpool and Elsa Bloodstone in Season 6, and Marvel Rivals snagging a nomination for Best Ongoing Game.
For the main topic, they look back on the game’s first year: the moment each of them got hooked, their favorite community highlights, the best (and worst) changes the game has made, and the characters they didn’t expect to love but absolutely do now.
Community comments: responding to feedback from Episode 35
Draft segment: five things we’re most thankful for in Marvel Rivals
This week in Rivals: Anniversary Event thoughts, 18v18 mode impressions, and Rival’s Day predictions
News roundup: possible Season 6 heroes, and Marvel Rivals nominated for Best Ongoing Game
Main topic: reflecting on Marvel Rivals’ first year — our first experiences with the game, what surprised us, and the highs and lows of the past twelve months
Share your favorite Year 1 memories in the comments, and subscribe for a new Rival Banter episode every Tuesday.