Why Support Isn’t as Fun In Hero-Role-Based games & Recommendations to Fix

Because it’s not fun. There—I said it.

It’s not fun being constantly dove, blamed by DPS, or left without tools to survive. In virtually every hero-role based game, the support/healer role is the foundation of the team. They're designed to hold matches together. Team dynamics center around eliminating the enemy support to break cohesion—because if healers don’t die, rounds drag on indefinitely.

And yet, every game makes the same mistake: catering to the dopamine needs of DPS mains. Developers nerf support survivability under the belief that healers shouldn’t be able to fight back or survive. Healing throughput, escape tools, and utility often get stripped down in favor of making DPS feel powerful.

I remember when Jeff Kaplan (former Overwatch lead) explained why Mercy’s ultimate—mass resurrection—was removed. The reason? It didn’t “feel good” for DPS to land a team wipe only to have it undone. Translation: DPS satisfaction mattered more than support playability.

Then came Brigitte, designed to keep other supports alive in a dive-heavy meta. But after DPS players complained about being killed by a support, she was nerfed into the ground. The dev team once again bowed to damage players rather than preserve balance for the role at the core of the game.

What followed was predictable: support players left. Role queue was added to ensure balance, but queues were lightning fast for support because there were so few willing to play it. Supply and demand told the story. Support isn’t fun, and most players know it—even if they won’t say it out loud.

Marvel Rivals is repeating the cycle. Supports were nerfed again to appease the DPS base. Forums are full of complaints, and good support players are hard to find—because once again, the role just isn’t enjoyable.

But here’s the kicker: we can fix this without implementing role queue or over-buffing support.

Game design can influence player behavior by adjusting how tactics perform against specific roles. If the main issue is survivability—being dove and deleted instantly—then we can address that through existing mechanics: armor and shields.

Suggested Changes:

1. Rework Shields: Make shields regenerate for support roles only and absorb specific dive-type damage.

2. Armor Dynamics: Reduce damage taken by tanks via armor, but make armor only replenishable through healing—encouraging team synergy.

3. Damage Typing: Categorize damage types more carefully, making some more/less effective versus shields or armor. Dive characters would be less effective at spiking supports without team coordination.

4. Team Balance: By reducing the solo spike potential of certain heroes, players will be encouraged to diversify comps. All-tank, Support, or all-dive teams would be less viable, driving more thoughtful team building.

These changes don’t require radical reworks or role queues. They simply adjust success rates based on composition and tactics. It forces teams to think beyond raw damage and ultimate economy and refocuses the game on synergy—where support is not a liability, but a critical and rewarding role to play.