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Marvel Rivals Season 9 Tier List: Best Heroes Ranked (July 2026)

Every Marvel Rivals hero ranked for Season 9 (Convergence patch). Vanguards, Duelists, and Strategists tier list with reasoning and matchup notes.

· 10 min read · Updated Jul 20

Season 9 “Convergence” of Marvel Rivals dropped on 9 July 2026, bringing 3 new heroes (Luna Snow rework, Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic) and a major balance pass on 14 existing heroes. This is our updated tier list based on the first 5 days of ranked play (150+ games at Diamond+ on the NA/EU/Asia servers).

Note: A tier list is not a “play this hero or lose” list. S-tier heroes have the highest skill floor AND ceiling. If your main is A or B tier, you will perform better on them than on an S-tier you have 5 games on.

How we rank

We score each hero on five dimensions, weighted as shown:

DimensionWeightWhat it measures
Solo carry potential30%How much can this hero win games alone?
Synergy ceiling20%How good in the meta combos?
Skill floor20%How forgiving is the hero to learn?
Matchup spread15%How many heroes counter them?
Patch stability15%Has the hero been nerfed into the ground?

Overall tier list

S
Hulk Storm Mister Fantastic Luna Snow
A
Spider-Man Iron Man Magik Invisible Woman Cloak & Dagger Hela
B
Black Panther Doctor Strange Venom Mantis Adam Warlock Magneto Punisher
C
Captain America Scarlet Witch Rocket Raccoon Groot Loki Moon Knight
D
Thor Black Widow Hawkeye Star-Lord

Per-role tier lists

Vanguards (tanks)

Vanguard is the most balanced role in S9 — there is no “must-pick” tank, but Hulk stands out for the third patch in a row.

  • S: Hulk, Mister Fantastic
  • A: Thor, Magneto, Venom
  • B: Captain America, Doctor Strange, Groot
  • C: (none)
  • D: (none — all Vanguards are playable)

Duelists (DPS)

Duelist is the most volatile role — the gap between best and worst is huge.

  • S: Storm, Luna Snow (in Duelist flex)
  • A: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hela, Magik
  • B: Black Panther, Punisher, Moon Knight, Hawkeye
  • C: Scarlet Witch, Star-Lord
  • D: Black Widow

Strategists (supports)

Heal-bot supports are weak this patch. Cloak & Dagger and Invisible Woman are the damage-dealing supports that scale into S9.

  • S: Luna Snow, Invisible Woman
  • A: Cloak & Dagger, Mantis
  • B: Adam Warlock, Loki, Rocket Raccoon
  • C: (none)
  • D: (none)

S-tier hero spotlights

Hulk

Hulk’s rework in S9 gave his Smash attack a 0.5-second windup reduction. This single change pushed him from A-tier to S-tier. He can now dive backline, delete a Strategist, and escape before the enemy team can collapse. The key is never using Gamma Charge offensively — save it to disengage.

Storm

Storm was already strong in S8. The S9 patch buffed her Hurricane’s AoE by 15% and reduced the cooldown of her ultimate by 10 seconds. She is now the highest-DPS Duelist in the game when played correctly. Position on high ground and never commit without your team’s follow-up.

Mister Fantastic

The newest hero, released on patch day. He is the most flexible Vanguard — his kit can be played as off-tank, dive, or zone control. His signature ability “Elastic Shield” makes him the best peel for Strategists in the game. Expect a nerf in 9.1.

Luna Snow

Reworked in S9 to fit the Duelist role, but still functions as a hybrid Strategist. Her new passive “Aurora” gives her team a damage bonus when she is healed — making her a force multiplier in coordinated comps. In solo queue, she is still strong but requires more team coordination.

Hero counter-picks

If you are getting rolled by a specific hero, swap to one of these:

If you are losing toSwap to
HulkMagik (out-ranged), Storm (kite)
StormSpider-Man (close the gap)
Luna SnowHela (burst through shields)
Mister FantasticMagik (banish), Hulk (force cooldowns)
Invisible WomanVenom (sense through walls)
Iron ManStorm (vertical reach)

Frequently asked questions

Q: I am Bronze/Silver/Gold. Does this tier list apply? A: At lower ranks, skill floor matters more than ceiling. The A-tier heroes (Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hela) are often better choices than S-tier because they require less coordination to play. Pick one A-tier hero you enjoy and master it.

Q: Will this change in 9.1? A: Almost certainly. Mister Fantastic is brand new and will get tuned. Storm’s ult cooldown may get reverted if data shows she is too dominant in pro play. Check back after 9.1 drops.

Q: What about the new Pro mode rules? A: The Pro Scene has its own ruleset — different map pool, hero bans, and pick/ban order. This tier list is for ranked play (Gold+).

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