Jeff the Land Shark's Drastic Changes in Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 Jeff the Land Shark's Rework
The Season 2.5 update for Marvel Rivals brought significant changes to several characters, including Jeff the Land Shark. These changes have sparked discussion and concern among the player base.[1] The update, which went live on May 30, 2025, included buffs, nerfs, and reworks, with Jeff the Land Shark and Thor receiving complete playstyle overhauls.[1]
Here's a breakdown of the specific changes to Jeff the Land Shark:
Unlike characters receiving simple buffs or nerfs, Jeff the Land Shark's abilities were fundamentally altered.[1] The changes aimed to modify how his abilities function, potentially impacting his effectiveness.[1]
Joyful Splash: The ability now deals damage to enemies at 70/s and can heal allies through other allies, but not through enemies. Damage falloff starts at 20m to a maximum of 65% at 40m. Healing per second was reduced from 150 to 100.[3] Aqua Burst: This ability was changed to a charge ability (max 3 charges, 3s per charge). Direct hits now launch enemies up. Spell field damage was increased from 40 to 45.[3] Healing Bubble: The effect of Healing Bubble was changed from One-Time Healing to Healing Over Time. The healing amount was increased from the previous instant 85 to 120 over 4s. Max charges were reduced from 6 to 3, and the enemy launch-up effect was removed.[3] Hide and Seek: A new effect was added: it now has an energy cap (max 120) that drains by 20/s while submerged and restores 15/s when not. Healing while submerged was reduced from 35/s to 15/s.[3] It’s Jeff! (Ultimate Ability): Overflow healing on swallowed allies now grants 45 Health per second as Bonus Health, up to 150.[3] Damage Reduction: The damage reduction received when taking a critical hit was increased from 50% to 70%.[3]
These changes have led to mixed reactions from the community. Some players are concerned that the changes will make Jeff less fun to play, potentially turning him into a "boring healbot," while others are optimistic about the new possibilities.[2] A petition on Change.org was created to try and revert the changes.[2] Team-Up Abilities
The most significant change is the alteration to Joyful Splash, which now damages enemies while healing allies, and the shift of Healing Bubble to a healing-over-time effect. Community Reaction
The Season 2.5 update also introduced new Team-Up abilities, including "Symbiote Shenanigans" which gives Jeff symbiote tendrils that heal nearby allies when teamed up with Venom.[3] Another new team-up is "Jeff-nado" with Storm, which combines their ultimates.[3]
Fans have expressed concerns about the changes, with some believing that Jeff's win rate was already low, and the changes would make him less effective.[2] The community's reaction will likely influence the developers' future decisions regarding Jeff the Land Shark.
