Marvel Rivals Season 3 Meta Breakdown: Top 10 Winners and Strategies

Marvel Rivals Season 3, titled "The Abyss Awakens," launched on July 11, 2025, bringing significant changes to the game's meta. With the addition of the new hero Phoenix, a versatile Strategist who excels in AoE damage and support, alongside numerous buffs and nerfs, the battlefield is shifting towards a more balanced mix of brawl and poke compositions. Flyers like Iron Man and Ultron have been nerfed, paving the way for ground-based brawlers and versatile picks to shine.

This guide breaks down the top 10 biggest winners based on the latest patch notes and meta analysis. Whether you're grinding ranks or competing in tournaments, these heroes are worth mastering or at least understanding to make the most out of this new season meta.

For the full patch notes, check the official site. Now, let's dive into the winners!

1. Namor

Namor emerges as a massive winner with buffs to his primary and alternate projectile speeds, making them nearly as fast as Hawkeye's arrows. This allows for lethal ranged damage, especially in poke comps. Combined with no nerfs to Hulk, their team-up (buffed in patch 2.5) enables devastating pressure. Meta analysis predicts Namor as an auto-ban in comp due to his ability to 2-shot DPS with headshots.

• Why a Winner: Buffs favor brawl shifts; excels against nerfed flyers and pairs with Hulk for versatility.
• Tips: Use ultimate with damage boosts (e.g., from Luna) to break defensive ults. Grind him for anti-dive and poke dominance.
• Synergies: Hulk for team-up, Luna for ult combos.

2. Luna Snow

Luna Snow remains untouched by nerfs, solidifying her as a top support. Her 12-second invulnerability ultimate, burst healing, and damage boosts make her essential in brawl, poke, and even dive comps. She continues to have a high win rate across every rank and is a must learn for any support flex players.

• Why a Winner: Consistent overperformer; pairs with Loki for 24 seconds of ult coverage.
• Tips: Swap to damage boost during key moments like Thor's slam or Magneto's ult to win team fights. Position aggressively with anti-dive supports.
• Synergies: Loki for ult stacking, any DPS for pocket healing.

3. The Thing

The Thing's buff allows his haymaker to target and ground flyers (which is a huge addition to his toolkit), addressing his Season 2 weaknesses. With nerfs to Ultron and Iron Man, he's poised to dominate brawl metas, now making him a top tank pick.

• Why a Winner: Finally counters flyers; thrives in close-range engagements and against double shields.
• Tips: Jump to supports for ult pops; chase mobile heroes like Black Panther. Embrace brain-off brawling.
• Synergies: Fantastic Four team-up with Invisible Woman, brawl DPS like Bucky.

4. Wolverine

Despite a leap cooldown increase (from 12s to 15s per patch), Wolverine's slash duration extension and new Phoenix team-up (5% damage boost + lifesteal) make him absurdly more powerful. His ult kills through defensives, and he's strong against tanks like Groot and Doctor Strange, especially with his dislocation potential.

• Why a Winner: No terrible matchups; excels in brawl shift, top 3 DPS in prior meta.
• Tips: Kidnap tanks with rocket pack; fast ult charge for fight turns. Always ban if not playing.
• Synergies: Phoenix for Primal Flame synergy, supports for pocketing him to help his sustain.

5. Loki

Loki's only nerf is a slight ult charge increase, but his high win rate and carry potential remain. As a stat farmer with damage, mitigation, and movement, he's the hardest support to master but rewards good players that are willing to put in the time and effort in learning him.

• Why a Winner: Highest performing support; thrives in skilled hands and has the highest ceiling.
• Tips: Steal Luna ults; focus on positioning and ability cycles. Embrace the high skill ceiling to improve.
• Synergies: Luna for dual support, good with dive tanks.

6. Hulk

Untouched by changes, Hulk benefits from Emma nerfs and flyer downgrades. His disruption and Namor synergy make him versatile against poke, dive, and brawl.

• Why a Winner: Has remained viable as he's untouched; brawl return boosts him.
• Tips: Provide off-angles for Namor; handles divers like Venom better than most.
• Synergies: Namor for poke, and perfect for brawl comps.

7. Winter Soldier (Bucky)

Bucky's new fall-off damage buff enhances his poke while maintaining brawl strength. Faster ults and anti-Loki potential (one of the best strategists in the game) make him a strong pick for this new meta, even against a Hela/Hawkeye pick.

• Why a Winner: Buffs challenge long-range pokers; very strong and viable in brawl meta comeback.
• Tips: Dash in for trades; slip ults when supports lag behind or against Loki with clones to reset ult charge.
• Synergies: Groot for ult-ins, Loki counters.

8. Cloak & Dagger

No real changes here, but Cloak & Dagger's fast ult build in brawls (via damage healed) gives free value in ranked especially in the early stage fights. Their underrated damage swaps can also kill through defensive backlines if coordinated well with a duo partner.

• Why a Winner: Outpaces supports in ult charge; strong vs. no burst damage which is typical in brawl situations.
• Tips: Pocket frontlines; coordinate damage swaps with duo.
• Synergies: Brawl tanks like Groot, DPS like Namor.

9. Groot

Groot is back as he can now thrive once again with the flyer nerfs and Mantis buffs (healing scales with HP). Walls shut down proactive tanks like Emma outside of her diamond form and can make or break a brawl fight.

• Why a Winner: Favored vs. now nerfed Emma; needs DPS follow-up in brawls but can create chaos with walls.
• Tips: Ban Wolverine; wall off supports and capitalize with close-range DPS.
• Synergies: Mantis for healing, Bucky/Namor for trades.

10. Hela

Hela's advantages over Phoenix in 1v1s and new Venom team-up (stun + slow) give her a new boost (as if she needed one). She remains the strongest in poke metas, and can pick off-angles to snipe brawlers from distance.

• Why a Winner: High burst; Venom-Magneto comp potential.
• Tips: Use team-up for multi-slows; adapt to brawl vs. poke shifts.
• Synergies: Venom-Magneto for dives, poke tanks.

Season 3 currently appears to favor the brawl meta with poke elements, thanks to flyer nerfs and buffs to ground heroes. Phoenix adds uncertainty as we're yet to see how she plays into different comps, but will most likely be seeing some early bans in higher ranks until the playerbase gets accustomed to her. To climb in Marvel Rivals season 3, make sure you learn these characters and stay updated on GAM3S.GG for more guides!