Marvel Rivals Championship Season 2 preview: 100 Thieves to make a comeback, will Virtus.pro win again?

The Marvel Rivals Championship (MRC) for Season 2: Hellfire Gala begins as early as June, and once again, the event is set to offer an array of new talent and the best esport organisations competing against each other.

There’s a lot to consider ahead of this season’s in-game competition, from popular metas, to the current state of the top esport teams. Here are the biggest talking points surrounding MRC so far.

100 Thieves were considered to be nigh unstoppable ever since it won NA Invitational #2, taking home $100,000 in prize winnings. In a post-match interview, 100 Thieves player Marschal ‘Terra’ Weaver said the team wanted to be “the first dynasty on this game”.

However, in recent times, 100 Thieves haven’t seen as much success. The organisation previously lost to Sentinels in MRC Season 1 NA PC division, and have lost to teams such as Shikigami in some of the latest Rivals Fight Nights.

On top of this the 100 Thieves Marvel Rivals coach, Joshua ‘Tensa‘ Small also announced his departure from 100 Thieves. 100 Thieves are entering Marvel Rivals Championships with a lot to prove, though it may end up being an up hill struggle.

Virtus.pro are seen as the favourites to win the EU PC division of MRC Season 2, should the organisation end up competing. Ever since it entered the esports ecosystem, the team has been the ‘dynasty’ 100 Thieves wished it could be in the Marvel Rivals EU scene.

Not only winning the EMEA Invitational and MRC Season 1 in EU PC, but have yet to suffer a single defeat so far in Rivals Fight Night – having won eight Fight Nights as of writing. Anything could happen in MRC, but Virtus.pro are clearly the team to beat in the upcoming tournament.

Season 2’s meta has been the most dynamic the game has ever been. Dive has finally become a viable option as characters such as Captain America, Spider-Man, and Iron Fist see increased popularity in high-ranked games.

In the recent Fight Night #9, fans also saw the strength of airborne characters such as Human Torch and Storm, which allowed FlyQuest to claim victory over Sentinels. If certain heroes are banned, we may see flight-capable characters appear more often.

Finally, there’s contention surrounding the state of Strategists in the game. The support strike has been the talk of the town, and there are concerns that it may take effect in this tournament, especially with so many teams potentially competing. Despite receiving buffs in a recent patch, we’ll have to wait and see how these characters perform in MRC Season 2.