If you have any friends who still main Black Widow in Marvel Rivals, now might be the appropriate time to offer them your condolences. These dedicated players, who stubbornly persevere with a character statistically proven to have the lowest win rate in the game, have spent the last several weeks being harassed in almost every match they join. Adding insult to injury, developer NetEase has opted to make Black Widow even less effective in their latest balancing pass.
The most recent Marvel Rivals update launched earlier this week, debuting the new hero Elsa Bloodstone alongside a variety of Valentine’s Day-themed additions. Aside from the standard technical polish and quality-of-life tweaks, the patch adjusted the kits of four specific heroes. To the bewilderment of the player base, Black Widow was on that list. Apparently, the developers felt the infamous sniper’s ultimate ability was inadvertently granting too much of an advantage by weakening enemies more than intended.
“We initiated a reboot of the Black Widow Program; her stings will now consistently apply the intended level of Vulnerability,” NetEase noted in the official patch documentation.
At present, the Marvel Rivals roster features 46 distinct characters. Among this massive lineup, Black Widow sits at the absolute bottom of the rankings regarding win percentage. The situation is so dire that her loyal fans have been pleading for buffs for months. Their hopes for a rework were recently amplified following a high-profile controversy involving several prominent Twitch streamers.
In late January, a competitive influencer was knocked out of a $40,000 Marvel Rivals tournament after being matched with a teammate who refused to play anyone other than Black Widow. The streamer—who claimed he needed the prize money for college expenses—unsuccessfully begged his teammate to switch to a more viable hero. The ensuing fallout and the teammate’s eventual ban caused a massive rift in the community. The story quickly moved beyond the game’s niche circles and into the wider gaming news cycle. One specific video covering the incident has already surpassed 4.3 million views, serving as just one example of the intense scrutiny the “Widow drama” received across social media.
While that specific conflict involved only a few players, the social stigma trickled down to all Black Widow mains. Shortly after the incident, players reported being ridiculed or bullied the moment they locked in the character. Some claimed that teammates would quit matches instantly upon seeing her on the roster. Despite the hostile environment, many fans held onto the hope that this wave of negative attention would finally force NetEase to revitalize the character. Instead, the opposite happened.
These black widow buffs come season 6.5….. pic.twitter.com/zMWz86BHmI
— Bad☆ (@Moroatlis) January 20, 2026
The latest update has only compounded Black Widow’s misfortunes. If the community sentiment was toxic a month ago, this patch is threatening to push fans to a breaking point. Many are currently contemplating whether it’s time to abandon the character entirely. The forums are filled with grief and frustration, with many unable to hide their anger. “There is absolutely no way they decided to nerf Widow’s ultimate,” one player lamented in a heated discussion regarding the balance changes.
DID WE JUST GET NERFED
by u/Due-Captain-2515 in BlackWidowMains
“Should they just delete her from the game?” one frustrated main questioned. The consensus among many is that she will never see a meaningful rework or enter the competitive meta. Instead, she is destined to remain a “throw pick” that invites instant bans and harassment in ranked play.
While some players are still holding out for a miracle, others are treating this latest nerf as the final death knell for the Russian assassin.
“The developers never understood her, and the hitscan community never truly claimed her,” one fan wrote in a somber tribute. “In a few years, there will be nothing left but a faint memory of a girl who once fought in the Red Room. After that, she’ll be forgotten entirely. Farewell, Black Widow, we hardly knew you.”
Source: Polygon
