Marvel Rivals: Elsa Bloodstone’s Arrival Revives a Longstanding Debate

A Season 6.5 update for Marvel Rivals arrives on February 13 with a new playable character, balance adjustments, and a themed event set in Times Square.

The highlight of the update is Elsa Bloodstone, a monster hunter who joins the game as a Duelist, focusing on direct damage, creature summoning, and an Instinct system that reduces cooldowns.

The choice is compelling, but it carries weight that goes beyond the character’s charisma.

The roster calls for balance

Elsa is the latest addition to the class that already dominates the game’s roster. With her arrival, Marvel Rivals now features 24 Duelists, while Vanguards total 12 and Strategists sit at just 10.

This gap is far from subtle. When one role has twice as many options as another, it creates a problem that can be felt in matches, in the matchmaking queue, and in players’ willingness to take on less popular roles.

It makes sense for damage-focused characters to be the majority. That’s the case in nearly every hero shooter. But when the distance between roles grows with each season, the game starts pushing players away from tanks and healers.

Less variety in those roles means fewer reasons to pick them. NetEase has shown consistent care in supporting the game. Adjustments to team abilities, seasonal events, and frequent updates point to a project receiving genuine attention.

Still, the character release strategy needs to follow that same logic. Roster variety isn’t measured only by the total number of heroes available, but by how they’re distributed across roles.

Elsa works, but the timing creates friction

From a gameplay perspective, the character’s design is solid. Elsa is aggressive, has a strong visual identity, and introduces mechanics that promise a dynamic experience. The issue lies in what she represents within the game’s current context.

Her monster-hunting theme and supernatural tone occupy a space very close to that of Blade, a character the community has been anticipating for quite some time.

The overlap doesn’t invalidate Elsa, but it raises a fair question about priorities. If the goal is to spotlight lesser-known names from the Marvel universe, thematic diversity should match that ambition.

Season 6.5 delivers meaningful content. The Love on Parade event, the Team-Up adjustments, and the steady cadence of updates confirm that Marvel Rivals remains in a strong place.

Even so, each new Duelist added without a counterbalance in other roles makes the conversation about balance harder to ignore. And the more the game grows, the more this imbalance will weigh on the experience of those who play every day.