Marvel Rivals probably isn't nerfing Jeff the Shark's ultimate any time soon, but the game's director does have an "interesting tip" for avoiding it

Jeff the Land Shark as he appears in Marvel Rivals
(Image credit: Marvel/NetEase Games)

Marvel Rivals can't save you from getting nom-nom'd by Jeff the Shark's tough-to-dodge ultimate, but the hero shooter's game director does have some advice for avoiding it.

So far, NetEase in general has been pretty hands-off when it comes to balance in Marvel Rivals - although it did get its first balance patch with Season 1 - and that approach very much extends to the game's lovable but also very hateable anti-hero, Jeff the Shark. If you've played Marvel Rivals for any length of time, you're familiar with the uniquely frustrating and humiliating experience that is being sucked up by Jeff's ult and spat off the side of a cliff.

If you haven't played Marvel Rivals, well, Jeff is a big dumb shark with a stupid cute smile that can occasionally dive beneath the surface of the map and then resurface and swallow enemies whole. Any Jeff worth their saltwater will then swim over to the edge of the map and spit those enemies out to their swift and demoralizing deaths. It's a brutal move even by the standards of ultimates, and it sounds like NetEase doesn't have any plans to tone it down.

Asked by Metro if there are any plans for a Jeff the Shark ultimate nerf, game director Guangyun Chen dodged the question and instead offered up some advice.

"We actually have an interesting tip for how to avoid Jeff’s ultimate," Chens aid. "Make sure you keep your formation spread out and as soon as you hear Jeff saying 'Nom, Nom, Nom' before he unleashes the ultimate, you want to scatter away. And don't hesitate to use your Mobility skills if you need to.

"And, if you have a teammate or two who unfortunately gets swallowed by Jeff, and you've also done a good job spreading out your whole team beforehand, it means that only a few teammates will get caught.

"So, in that case, there's still a chance to take him down and rescue your buddy before he drags them to the end of the map. It's all about that teamwork and timing. Hitting all these specific timings will really help turn the tide."

Basically, just keep your distance from Jeff the Shark's gaping maw and you should be good. Thanks, boss.

I wish I had better advice for dealing with Jeff, but frankly, as an Iron Man main who primarily kites people from a distance and then bombs 'em with an ult every few minutes and doesn't pay enough attention to what my team's doing (yes, I'm the problem), I'm mostly immune to Jeff's tricks. But yeah, uh, running away will usually work.

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Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.