Ultron Breaks the NetEase Formula In a Big Way

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Ultron Breaks the NetEase Formula In a Big Way

Marvel Rivals is about to welcome its most attitude-heavy Strategist yet. Forget gentle encouragement and supportive callouts—Ultron’s version of bedside manner will probably involve questioning your tactical decisions while reluctantly keeping you alive.

The mechanical menace drops into Season 2.5 on May 30th, armed with enough sarcasm to power a small arc reactor. This isn’t your typical backline babysitter who panics when teammates take damage. Ultron operates on a different philosophy entirely: if you’re constantly getting hurt, maybe the problem isn’t his healing output but your positioning choices.

The anti-healbot strategist we didn’t know we needed

Ultron’s approach to battlefield medicine in Marvel Rivals is beautifully simple: dead enemies can’t hurt your teammates. His kit revolves around dealing damage while providing support, making him the first Strategist since Mantis who doesn’t apologize for having an offensive bone in his metallic body.

The character trailer showcases his “Encephalo-Ray” beam melting faces while his drones simultaneously heal allies. It’s preventative care taken to its logical extreme—why patch up wounds when you can eliminate the source?

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

by

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

The community has already embraced this delightfully hostile approach to support gameplay. Players are genuinely excited about a Strategist who won’t get flamed for prioritizing damage over constant healing streams:

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

by

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

from discussion
in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This philosophy perfectly encapsulates Ultron’s design ethos. His “Imperative: Patch” ability lets him deploy healing drones while focusing on eliminating threats. It’s multitasking at its finest—keeping allies alive while making enemies… very dead:

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

by

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

from discussion
in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

The beauty lies in this tactical approach. Instead of frantically healing damage after it’s dealt, Ultron prevents it entirely. His ultimate, Rage of Ultron, summons multiple drone copies that simultaneously damage enemies and heal allies in the same devastating barrage:

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

by

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

from discussion
in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

by

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

from discussion
in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

That Team Fortress 2 reference hits different when applied to Marvel Rivals‘ support meta. Ultron represents everything the Medic couldn’t be—a combat-ready healer who doesn’t hide behind teammates but actively hunts down threats.

NetEase’s concerning healbot conversion program

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Unfortunately, Ultron’s aggressive design comes at a time when NetEase seems determined to homogenize all Strategists into passive healers. The pattern started with Rocket Raccoon’s controversial rework earlier this season.

Rocket used to embody the “good offense is best defense” mentality. His mobility allowed aggressive positioning, and his ultimate focused on empowering team pushes rather than reactive damage control.

The rework has since stripped away his tactical flexibility, forcing him into a traditional backline role with reduced mobility and a watered-down ultimate that prioritizes healing over the devastating team-wipe potential it once offered.

Jeff the Land Shark faces an even worse fate with the upcoming Season 2.5

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

. His Hide and Seek ability—the core of his self-sufficient playstyle—now has a six-second energy cap. His Healing Bubble switched from instant healing to healing over time, with charges reduced from six to three.

These changes transform Jeff from a flanking menace into another stationary healbot. Sure, his Joyful Splash now damages enemies, but the overall rework pushes him toward passive gameplay that competitive players apparently prefer.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

by

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

from discussion
in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This cynical take unfortunately aligns with NetEase‘s recent track record. The company seems to be catering to players who spam “gg no heals” whenever they overextend and die, rather than supporting the unique playstyles that made these characters interesting.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

The real concern is whether Ultron will survive his initial popularity intact. His current kit promises something genuinely different—a support who insults you for needing healing while efficiently eliminating the problems causing that need. Let’s hope NetEase doesn’t strip away that personality in favor of another generic healbot.

What’s your take on Ultron’s aggressive support style? Drop your thoughts below and let’s discuss whether he’ll survive the inevitable nerf cycle.