The 5 Worst Marvel Rivals Passive Abilities, Ranked

by

Over the past four months since its launch in December, Marvel Rivals has seen an exhilarating journey for its players. They’ve been steadily advancing their rankings, sharing thrilling moments, and delighting in the wide array of 38 unique characters the game offers.

However, amongst these renowned Marvel superheroes, not all characters conform to the usual “meta” standards. Whilst figures such as Magneto and Emma Frost are presently excelling, other heroes possess abilities that are so subdued, they may as well be non-existent in terms of impact.

So here are the worst passive abilities in Marvel Rivals, ranked.

Groot’s “Friendly Shoulder” Passive

It’s really heartwarming when characters like Rocket Raccoon or Jeff the Shark are part of the squad. They can perch on Groot’s shoulder and benefit from a reduction in damage while they wreak havoc against the opposing team. Yet, this doesn’t necessarily guarantee an effective passive ability.

Due to Groot’s size making him an obvious target, having Jeff and Rocket on his shoulders typically leads to trouble for everyone around, given they are often chosen as primary targets. Characters like the Punisher or those who deal damage can quickly deplete your health meter. Moreover, with Season 2’s general increase in damage, using this passive ability carelessly could easily lead to certain death.

Hela’s “Nastrond Crowstorm” Passive

As a gamer, I often find myself overlooking Hela’s passive ability – a mistake many players make. When she takes down an opponent, her Nastrond Crow descends upon the fallen hero, corrupting their remains and causing them to explode, dealing 80 damage to nearby foes. It can be quite irritating when someone’s clinging onto a thread of health, but more often than not, it’s just a tickle that barely registers, especially in higher Elo matches.

This poses a threat primarily when Hela collaborates her ability with Loki and Thor’s team-up passive, as fallen foes are resuscitated following each Hela kill. When combined, this can undoubtedly shatter an adversary team’s resolve. However, without that coordination, it’s merely so-so.

Spider-Man’s “Spider-Sense” Passive

In simpler terms, even though our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man may not be the most intimidating hero in advanced gameplay, he certainly makes up for it with a rather formidable passive ability. While he retains his wall-running skill, his “Spider-Sense” could use some strengthening as it’s considered one of the less potent aspects of his overall abilities.

In the swift-moving Marvel Rivals game, where mayhem erupts from every angle, relying on an unpredictable passive ability is challenging. The Spidey Sense often fails to activate at expected moments, which makes it tough to rely upon during quick reactions.

This ability is scarcely beneficial except for situations where someone surprises you, similar to characters like Invisible Woman or Psylocke. However, even in such instances, its usefulness remains limited and dependent on the specific situation.

READ: Marvel Rivals’ Dive Meta Is Taking Over Competitive Lobbies

Magneto’s “Magnetic Descent” Passive

As a Vanguard player, this passive ability is simply laughable in its current state. Magneto, the master of magnetism, should be gracefully gliding and harvesting auras, not clumsily descending like an inflated balloon. Pressing the Spacebar during a fall triggers a drawn-out descent animation, which is more dramatic than practical.

In most Marvel Rivals game maps, verticality is scarcely present, making the passive ability almost ineffective. Its only useful application seems to be coupling it with Rocket’s “Super Jump” Pack, but this transformation effectively makes you a large, floating target over the battlefield.

Loki’s “Backstab” Passive

In simpler terms, the ability called “Backstab” on the character Loki in Marvel Rivals is often considered the weakest among all passive skills. It’s so unimpressive that most players who use Loki choose not to use it while breaking invisibility, as the reward of a slight +15 damage increase results in a disappointing total melee damage of only 45.

In certain situations, I’d be daring enough to create duplicates of myself and strike with swift, repeated backstabs—but the likelihood of such a maneuver actually working? Slim as one chance in a hundred.

As more characters join the Marvel Rivals lineup, it’s possible we’ll encounter another passive ability that might look cool but doesn’t really have a significant impact on gameplay. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that NetEase is taking player suggestions seriously and will make some adjustments to these seemingly ineffective passives soon.

Read More

2025-04-23 18:43