Table of Contents
Black Widow gains a new firing mode for her rifle through a Team-Up with The Punisher, allowing her primary fire to pierce through enemies while aiming down sights.
Heroes
- the punisher
- black widow
Updates:
- Operation: Microchip was removed in Season 5.
Lore
Black Widow: You know, nobody customizes firearms like this anymore. It's almost nostalgic. And every shot; so precise, barely a hair off target.
The Punisher: Precision's not a luxury. It's survival. Especially when you're up against Mega-Corp scum and Doom.
Black Widow: Don't need to tell me twice. But seriously, where'd you pick up these customization skills?
The Punisher: Old acquaintance named David. Long time back. Helped me out more times than I can count, back before...
Black Widow: I think I've heard of him, a tech genius, right? I'm sorry. Cost of living this long...
The Punisher: Yeah. Thought we were fighting a war we'd win. Still hasn't ended...Black Widow: So you're handing this to me now? Is this about making amends?
The Punisher: No. That's old blood. Our time is already a warzone and we can't afford another screw- up. I don't patch mistakes, Natasha. This pulse beam cuts through anything. Don't leave a mess.
Black Widow: Got it. Thanks. I won't let you — or the Red Room — down. So, what do we call this mission…? "Operation: Microchip"?
The Punisher: Sure. "Operation: Microchip." And don't thank me. Just get it done.
Operation: Microchip (The Punisher - Black Widow)
Operation Microchip is a new Team-Up ability introduced in the Season 2.5 update of Marvel Rivals. This Team-Up transforms Black Widow's rifle into a piercing weapon while giving The Punisher some stat boosts. Here is how this team-up works:
- As the Team-Up Anchor, The Punisher gains 25 maximum health and a 5% boost in damage
- Black Widow unlocks a new Pulse Rifle ability through her Team-Up with The Punisher.
Black Widow gets a much-needed buff her considering her current state in the meta. The new Pulse Rifle ability lets her shots pierce through multiple enemies when she aims down sights. This means tanks can't just body block for their team anymore.
This Team-Up works especially well when enemies group up around objectives in certain modes, such as Domination mode or in choke points across maps.
Overall, this Team-Up enhances Black Widow's ability to deal consistent damage against grouped enemies, a role she previously struggled with. It's clear the Marvel Rivals developers are trying to buff Black Widow a bit, and it's not surprising considering she had one of the lowest pick rates in Season 2. This is definitely a good change that addresses some of her weaknesses, however, nothing groundbreaking that will completely shake up the meta.
Best Against
This Team-Up works best against characters who like to stay behind their team and deal damage from a distance, or characters who are clumped up in the middle of the fight.
Best Counters
Characters with high mobility or dive potential won't be affected much by this Team-Up.
- Vanguards that excel at diving the backline such as Venom and Captain America won't be affected by this team-up as Black Widow won't be using this team-up ability in short range.
- Similarly, highly mobile melee Duelists or flankers who can dive the backline, such as Spider-Man, Black Panther and Psylocke, are quite effective against this team-up.
- Characters that have shields, such as Magneto and Doctor Strange, or can create walls, such as Groot, are direct counters to this team-up as they can block the piercing shots and nullify its effectiveness.
