With the launch of Marvel Rivals Season 7.5 around the corner, NetEase provided us with early access to the new content. This includes Black Cat, a new Duelist who looks very powerful in the trailer. However, after multiple matches with the upcoming hero, one thing became clear: she has all the tools to dominate, but one major flaw could hold her back.

Earlier this week, NetEase released a trailer for Black Cat, revealing her abilities and design. The initial reactions were mostly positive, with many players even calling her overpowered. After spending hours testing her myself, it’s easy to see why she’s considered OP, but she’s far from a straightforward pick.

Black Cat feels powerful in Marvel Rivals, but there’s a catch

Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) excels at escaping fights she couldn’t survive, while she’s also adept at finishing off unsuspecting enemies. Before playing her, I expected the new Duelist to be a pure assassin who can easily land eliminations. In reality, she feels more like a flanker who relies on disruptions.

With that in mind, these are still early impressions, and most testing took place in controlled early-access matches. As NetEase told us in our recent interview, an important part of hero balance is the “discovery phase.” Once this phase ends, the development team will look into potential balance changes for the new hero.

At first glance, Black Cat is quite similar to Black Panther, another high-mobility hero who can climb walls and dash. At the same time, she can open portals like Doctor Strange. On paper, that makes her feel like a jack-of-all-trades hero, which is something NetEase would like to avoid. In practice, her kit feels too complex for its own good, making her inconsistent unless played near perfectly.

The Fortune system is a game-changer for Black Cat

A big reason for Black Cat’s complexity is her Fortune system. This is a resource-management mechanic that adds an extra layer to her kit beyond standard abilities. Instead of relying on her abilities, like a double jump or claw attack, Felicia can access several more tools in her kit, including invisibility, enemy debuffs, and portals.

The Fortune system makes Black Cat one of the most versatile heroes in Marvel Rivals. At the same time, this is the reason why she’s very complex and hard to master. This system makes decision-making much harder, as players need to choose the right option in fast-paced fights. Choosing the wrong ability doesn’t just lower her effectiveness, but it also wastes her entire potential.

Revealing the enemy team using the Faltine Flame Orb is certainly a useful trick Black Cat can pull. However, it may not always be the right move, as she might be better off going invisible to save herself in some situations.

Where Black Cat struggles

Black Cat’s kit makes her a formidable enemy in Marvel Rivals when used perfectly. However, the hero relies on timing and positioning, requiring players to always be at the top of their game.

These are the situations Black Cat struggles in:

• Overcommitting – Despite her mobility, going to deep can easily lead to her death
• Mistimed abilities – Bad timing on her abilities usually leads to little to no impact
• Lack of focus – Black Cat requires constant awareness and clean execution
• Fortune – The hero uses the Fortune system, which can be easily mismanaged

Where Black Cat excels

Black Cat offers a high level of flexibility, and when used correctly, she can be one of the most disruptive heroes in Marvel Rivals. Her mobility allows her to control engagements and pressure enemies in ways few Duelists can.

These are the situations where she excels the most:

• Escaping losing fights – With her double jump, dash, and wall climbing, Black Cat is extremely difficult to pin down, which allows her to disengage from fights easily
• Punishing isolated targets – Felicia thrives against enemies who are out of position and unprotected, capitalizing on low-health opponents
• Disrupting backlines – Black Cat can use her mobility to disrupt support heroes in the enemy backline, forcing them to reposition and back down
• Surprising skillset – With the Fortune mechanic, she gains access to seven new abilities, which allow her to become invisible, mark enemies, or even open portals, allowing her to come up with creative ways to disrupt enemies

Is Black Cat easy to play in Marvel Rivals?

Black Cat isn’t a hero you can pick up and instantly dominate with. Despite how powerful she looks on paper, her kit demands precise timing and smart positioning. Even if you have no problems with these, you will need to manage her Fortune resources to get consistent value out of her.

That said, if you are willing to invest the time into mastering Black Cat, you may find out that she’s one of the most rewarding Duelists in Marvel Rivals. Her mobility and versatility allow her to control fights and raise her ceiling, but reaching that point won’t come easily. For now, Felicia feels like a hero defined by her potential, making her deadly in the right hands, yet a throw pick for everyone else.

Before Black Cat becomes available to everyone, you may want to check all the upcoming nerfs and buffs in Marvel Rivals Season 7.5. Furthermore, don’t forget to unlock free cosmetics using active Marvel Rivals codes.