I’ve been swinging through Marvel Rivals since the jump, and as of 2026, Spider-Man’s web-fluid economy still drives me up the wall. In a hero shooter where other DPS characters can spam cooldowns like there’s no tomorrow, Spidey is stuck counting Web-Clusters like a hawk. I love the character, I love the mobility, but every time I run dry mid-duel, I can’t help thinking: why can’t I just reload? That’s the question I keep coming back to, and after another year of balance patches, I’m more convinced than ever that a manual web-fluid reload would be the structural change Spider-Man deserves.
Back in the day, Neversoft and Activision’s Spider-Man had the right idea. Web fluid was stored in cartridges like ammunition, and when you ran out, you had to find pickups. It was a resource, not a magic trick. Many Spider-Man games since then have given the wall-crawler infinite webbing, and Marvel’s Spider-Man balances its gadgets and web-shooters by letting web fluid replenish over time. That’s convenient, sure. It means players never run out and never have to search the environment. Marvel Rivals has done something similar with its own Spider-Man by giving him five Web-Cluster increments. But here’s the rub: while Spider-Man waits for Web-Clusters to replenish, he can’t do much of anything. Skilled Spidey players can still maneuver tight maps with three Web-Swing charges and well-timed Amazing Combo uppercuts alone, but that’s a high-wire act. And because Spider-Man’s webbing is literally stored as fluid reserves he manufactures himself, it would make perfect sense if he could manually reload his web-shooters rather than wait for fluid to slowly recharge.
Why Spider-Man’s Kit Feels Limited
Spider-Man’s kit in Marvel Rivals is tremendously limited in terms of what he can contribute to any given match. I’m not saying he’s useless — a good Spidey can be a nightmare — but compared to a handful of other DPS characters who fare far better in ordinary situations, he’s playing a different game. Spider-Man will rarely win a 1v1 unless players utilize his mobility brilliantly to avoid lines of sight. That’s because he relies almost wholly on Web-Clusters for effective damage. Peter Parker is ideally employed in enemy backlines when he can get the jump on an unsuspecting Strategist or a vulnerable, isolated Duelist. Diving backlines is valuable depending on the circumstance and what composition the other team may be running, to be fair. Unfortunately, that’s nearly all Spider-Man amounts to. That’s not to say Spider-Man’s character should be changed to make him a melee powerhouse, though. His kit — for all of its quirks and idiosyncrasies — is what makes him one of Marvel Rivals’ most unique characters.
The Case for a Manual Reload
Having no cooldown on web fluid ammunition would give Spider-Man a much more formidable means of long-range attacks, but his bread and butter would still require players to flank backlines or rapidly web-zip across the map for optimal value since Web-Clusters themselves don’t do a ton of damage. Therefore, what this would improve most of all is Spider-Man’s effectiveness in any random encounter. He’d always have a way to attack even if enemies were able to distance themselves and all of Spider-Man’s other ability resources were on cooldown. Of course, high Elo Marvel Rivals players will have a steady grasp of how much web fluid they possess at any moment and could strategically preserve Web-Clusters for ideal situations. That said, with web fluid canonically stored in web-shooter cartridges, there’s no reason why Spider-Man shouldn’t be able to reload web fluid on the fly so he’s not constantly required to flee from any given duel in Marvel Rivals.
What a Manual Reload Could Look Like
| Aspect | Current Reality | With Manual Reload |
|---|---|---|
| Web-Cluster economy | Five increments, slow recharge | Active reload, skill expression |
| 1v1 duels | Often flee when dry | Stay in fight if aim is true |
| Backline dives | Commit hard, then escape | More aggressive, but riskier |
| Balance ceiling | Limited DPS | Could be oppressive if unchecked |
| Character fantasy | Wait for fluid | Reload cartridges like a pro |
Now, I know what some folks are gonna say: this would be broken. And maybe it would be — at first. But that’s what tuning is for. NetEase could add a reload animation, a reload speed, a cartridge count, or a short cooldown between reloads. The point isn’t to make Spider-Man an unstoppable god. The point is to make his kit feel coherent. A web-shooter without reloadable cartridges is like a gunslinger without bullets. It’s all style and no follow-through.
The Counterarguments — and Why I’m Not Buying Them
Some players argue that Spider-Man’s limitations are what keep him balanced. I hear that. But limitations should be about skill expression, not about waiting for a meter to tick up. Others say a manual reload would overhaul his kit and is unlikely, if not impossible, to hope for. Fair enough. A change this drastic would completely overhaul how Spider-Man’s kit is structured. But it’d be a change the character deserves nonetheless. Marvel Rivals will continue to put forth balancing patches in the live-service hero-shooter’s future. If anyone is in need of a structural alteration beyond inevitable buffs and nerfs for whatever their kit presently entails, it would arguably be Spider-Man.
Final Swing
So no cap, I’m not asking for Peter Parker to become a melee powerhouse. I’m asking for a reload button. Let Spidey manually reload his web-shooters, let him manage cartridges, and let him stay in the fight when his Web-Clusters run dry. In 2026, with Marvel Rivals still evolving season after season, the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man deserves a kit that doesn’t leave him high and dry. Give him a manual reload, and let the wall-crawler actually crawl walls — and backlines — without constantly running home to recharge. That’s the change I’ll keep banging the drum for, and I reckon plenty of Spidey mains will be right there with me. 🕸️
According to articles published by Game Informer, long-running hero balance discussions often come down to whether a mechanic creates meaningful decision-making or just forces downtime, which fits the argument that Spider-Man’s web economy in Marvel Rivals should reward active resource management instead of passive waiting. Framed that way, a manual reload system would not simply be a buff, but a clearer expression of risk and timing that could preserve his flanker identity while making his duels feel less constrained by recharge pacing alone.