The meta of Marvel Rivals keeps changing every patch. They shuffle around with every new hero, balance tweak, strategic discovery, pick rates, win rates, and especially ban rates. Ban rates clearly show you which heroes most players consider too strong or unfair to let draft.
This season’s data from RivalsMeta.com shows some predictable names at the top and some unexpected entries. In this deep dive, we will look at the season's five most banned Marvel Rivals characters, discuss why they are banned so much, and share tips on how you can deal with them— or even use them to your advantage in your own games.
Why Ban Rates in Marvel Rivals Matter
The ban phase is like the first battle in a game like Marvel Rivals. Each team gets two bans (four total), and you can stop your enemies from playing their best picks. A high ban rate usually means that a hero is either:
- Too hard to counter; you can’t really stop their abilities.
- Defining the meta, the teams built around them win too often.
- Intimidating, even average players don’t want to risk facing them.
Keeping an eye on ban rates helps you know what might be missing in your match so that you can plan your draft better. It also tells you which heroes everyone agrees are too strong.
Most Banned Heroes in Marvel Rivals Season 2
1. Hulk
click to enlarge
+ 5- Ban Rate: 40.55%
- Win Rate: 53.08%
- Pick Rate: 12.62%
Why Hulk Gets Banned
Hulk is the ultimate Vanguard; everyone knows that. His crowd control and ability to soak damage make him a monster in team fights. If a Hulk is played well, he engages, absorbs tons of damage, and splits up the enemy team with his ground slams and roars, leaving them completely off balance.
His leaps can get right into the backline of the enemy. He won't die easily, so teams need big cooldowns or lots of focus fire. His ultimate knocks everyone around and interrupts channeled ults.
By removing Hulk, opponents also weaken Iron Man’s viability, effectively a “two-for-one” ban.
2. Groot
click to enlarge+ 5- Ban Rate: 39.13%
- Win Rate: 49.73%
- Pick Rate: 9.95%
Groot’s High Ban Rate
Groot is almost as feared as Hulk, despite his slightly lower win rate. But his kit of area control is what terrifies teams. Beyond his tank durability, players find his walls frustrating to shoot through.
3. Human Torch
click to enlarge+ 5- Ban Rate: 27.76%
- Win Rate: 50.65%
- Pick Rate: 7.55%
The Human Torch Threat
Human Torch’s kit is about constant flame and area denial. He’s less banned than the Vanguards, but still scary when well played at top tier. Flame Wall and Fire Pillar punish grouped enemies and stall pushes. Flame Dash gives him good repositioning.
There is way too much damage, but paired with easy aiming and a small hitbox, it makes him a popular ban. No one wants to get poked from above by constant flame damage. His 50.65% win rate shows he contributes to victories more often than defeats, but his low pick rate (7.55%) suggests a steep learning curve, so opponents often ban him rather than risk facing a skilled Torch player.
4. Iron Fist
click to enlarge+ 5- Ban Rate: 23.72%
- Win Rate: 50.78%
- Pick Rate: 11.52%
Iron Fist’s Danger
Iron Fist specializes in single-target burst damage and thrives with other dive heroes. His ultimate can squash supports if they’re out of position. He has dashes and stun combos, perfect for quick engagements. A Good Iron Fist dodges abilities and times his engagements expertly. His 50.78% win rate at an 11.52% pick rate shows high risk, high reward.
That said, it isn’t just his burst potential that earns him bans. When played poorly, Iron Fist can stall team objectives by diving the backline without landing his combos, frustrating teammates who expect him to secure kills or zone key targets.
5. Spider-Man
click to enlarge+ 5- Ban Rate: 22.82%
- Win Rate: 47.74%
- Pick Rate: 16.37%
- Matches Sampled: 244,235
Why Spider-Man Is Banned
Spider-Man has great mobility and disruption, but also high variance. The web swings and wall-crawl keep opponents guessing. Just like Iron Fist, he’s incredibly annoying when played well, yet becomes a liability if played poorly—it’s a 5v6 either way.
Even with Namor or Luna counters, he warps the game so much that players prefer to ban him. And the nightmarish clips of cracked Spidey mains pulling tanks out of the map only instill more fear in the player base. The mid-season patch also trimmed his web-combo damage to curb his top-tier bans. Nevertheless, the win rate below 50% shows that he underperforms half the time, especially in ranked matches.
Overall, bans often reflect perceived threat as much as raw power. Tanks like Hulk and Groot control engagements at a macro level, while duelists such as Iron Fist and Spider-Man excel at micro-punishment. It’s useful to see why the player base hates these picks—maybe it’s their annoying abilities, or those killer combos, or just how irritating they feel to play against. By knowing that, you can draft with planning.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Features and Marvel Rivals page.