Alright, pal, let's talk about one of the most unique, adorable, and surprisingly impactful heroes swimming around in Marvel Rivals: Jeff the Land Shark! If you've seen this goofy-looking, finned friend around, you know he's something special. And guess what? Jeff's just been through a pretty big rework on May 30th, 2025, shaking up how he plays and opening up a ton of new ways for you to shine.
Now, there's been a bit of chatter in the community about these changes – some folks are excited, others are a little unsure if our favorite shark is still as snappy. But that's exactly why we're here! This guide is going to cut through all that noise and show you the real deal – the incredible power and fun you can have with the new and improved Jeff. Forget what you think you know; we're going to turn you into a confident, impactful Jeff player who knows how to make some serious waves. Because Jeff, as a "Strategist" hero, is way more than just a healbot; with a little coaching, you'll see he's a dynamic playmaker ready to take a bite out of the competition!
Jeff Fundamentals
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of his moves, let's understand what Jeff is all about.
The Unpredictable Strategist
Jeff is officially classified as a "Strategist", which in Marvel Rivals means he's there to support the team, primarily through healing and providing utility. But here's the cool part about the reworked Jeff: he's not just sitting back and lobbing heals. He's become a more proactive playmaker. You'll be enabling your teammates not just by keeping their health bars full, but also by applying disruptive pressure and making smart, aggressive plays. He's got a base health of 250 and a standard movement speed of 6 m/s, so he's not a massive tank, but he's got tricks up his... well, fin.
Core Playstyle: The Agile Support & Annoyance
Jeff's playstyle has definitely shifted with the rework. Before, he had a lot more freedom with his Hide and Seek ability and his Healing Bubbles gave a quick burst of health. Now, it's all about managing your resources more carefully – keeping an eye on your Hide and Seek energy, the charges on your Aqua Burst, and your Healing Bubble count. The big game-changer is his new Joyful Splash that can heal allies and hurt enemies at the same time!
One of the best ways to think about playing Jeff is as an "off-angle" support. This means you don't always want to be directly behind your tanks. Instead, look for positions where you can spray your Joyful Splash to hit your buddies and the bad guys, then use your slippery movement to get out of trouble or find a new spot. The rework kind of pulls Jeff in two fun directions: his main heal encourages him to be in the thick of things, but the changes to his escape tools mean you need to be smarter about when and how you engage. Don't worry, we'll teach you how to strike that perfect balance!
Passive Deep Dive: Oblivious Cuteness
This is Jeff's secret weapon for staying alive: Oblivious Cuteness! It reduces the damage he takes from critical hits and headshots by a whopping 70%. This is a buff from the previous 50%, and it's a huge deal.
Why does this matter so much? It makes Jeff surprisingly tough against heroes who rely on those big headshot numbers, like many Duelists. This passive is a key reason why Jeff can feel deceptively tanky. It allows you to make slightly riskier plays, especially if you know you're drawing fire from characters like Hawkeye or Hela. They might be aiming for your head, but your cuteness is literally deflecting a huge chunk of that damage!
It means you need to be more aware of who is shooting at you. Against those crit-focused heroes, Jeff can now hold his ground or support teammates under fire for longer than you might expect. This passive isn't just a cute name; it's a core part of your survival strategy.
Jeff's Reworked Abilities
Alright, let's get to the fun stuff – Jeff's abilities! The May 30th, 2025 patch gave his kit a big refresh. Here's a quick look at what you're working with now, before we dive into each one:
| Ability Name | Keybind (Default) | Brief Reworked Description & Key Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Joyful Splash | LMB | Piercing stream. Heals allies 130/s, Damages enemies 70/s. Falloff: 20m-40m (65% max). Charges ult faster. Ammo: 100. |
| Aqua Burst | RMB | Water sphere projectile. 3 charges (3s/charge). Direct hits launch enemies up. 25 projectile dmg, 45 splash dmg. |
| Hide and Seek | Shift | Dive underground. 120 energy (drains 20/s, restores 15/s). 60% speed boost, 15/s self-heal. Unstoppable. Wall-crawl. Reduced hitbox. |
| Healing Bubble | E | Spit bubble. Heals 120 HP over 4s. 3 charges (6s/charge). Grants 15% healing boost & 60% speed boost for 4s. No enemy knock-up. |
| It's Jeff! (Ult) | Q | Swallow allies/enemies (10m radius). Enemies: 25 dmg/s. Allies: 225 heal/s + up to 150 Bonus Health (45/s). Cost: 4500. Duration: 6s. |
Joyful Splash (LMB): The Heal-and-Hurt Hose!
Mechanics: This is your primary fire, a continuous stream of water. It now heals your allies for 130 health per second (HP/s) and, at the same time, damages any enemies it hits for 70 damage per second (DPS). The really cool part? It pierces through everyone – allies and enemies. So, you can be healing your tank who's fighting an enemy, and your stream will heal the tank and damage that enemy simultaneously! There's damage falloff for the enemy damage, starting at 20 meters and reaching a 65% reduction at 40 meters. You've got 100 ammo, and it fires at 20 rounds per second, meaning you get 5 seconds of continuous spray. A big bonus: using this ability now charges your ultimate, "It's Jeff!", much faster.
Ultimate Factory: Since your ult cost went up a bit, actively look for opportunities to hit multiple targets (friends or foes) with Joyful Splash. The more you hit, the faster you'll get that game-changing ultimate.
Consistent Pressure: While 70 DPS isn't going to melt a tank instantly, it's consistent chip damage that really adds up, especially on squishier targets or to help your team finish off someone who's low on health.
Don't Just Healbot: Remember, you're doing damage too! Weave in that offensive pressure whenever you can.
Aqua Burst (RMB): Water Balloon Pop!
Mechanics: Jeff spits a water projectile that explodes on impact. This ability got a neat rework: it's now on a charge system. You can hold up to 3 charges, and each charge takes 3 seconds to refresh. If you land a direct hit on an enemy, it now launches them up into the air! The direct projectile hit does 25 damage, and the splash damage in a 3-meter radius around the impact deals 45 damage.
Zone Control: Even if you don't get a direct hit, the splash damage is great for poking enemies hiding behind cover or for making chokepoints uncomfortable for the enemy team to push through.
Smart Charges: With only three charges, don't just spam them all at once. Try to keep one or two in your back pocket for those crucial moments when an interrupt or a peel is needed.
Combo Starter: That little knock-up can make targets much easier for your teammates to hit with their own abilities. Coordinate with your team!
Hide and Seek (Shift): Sneaky Shark Time!
Mechanics: This is Jeff's signature mobility move. He dives underground with just his dorsal fin showing, which significantly reduces his hitbox and lets him crawl up walls. The big change here is the new energy system: Jeff now has a maximum of 120 energy for this ability. It drains 20 energy per second while you're submerged and recharges at 15 energy per second when you're not. This means you can stay submerged for about 6 seconds from a full bar, and it takes 8 seconds to fully recharge from empty. While diving, you get a 60% movement speed boost, and you become Unstoppable, meaning crowd control effects won't stop you. The self-healing while submerged has been reduced to 15 HP/s, down from 35 HP/s.
Watch That Energy Bar! This is crucial. Always be aware of how much energy you have left. You don't want to dive into a fight and then realize you don't have enough juice to get out.
Bait Master: That Unstoppable effect is great for baiting out important enemy cooldowns, like stuns or hooks. If you see them winding up, dive!
Minor Top-Up: The 15 HP/s self-heal is pretty small now. Don't rely on it to survive heavy damage. It's more for healing up a tiny bit of poke damage while you're repositioning.
Healing Bubble (E): Bouncy Bubbles of Goodness!
Mechanics: Jeff spits out a bubble that an ally (or Jeff himself) can collect. This ability also saw some significant changes. It no longer provides a burst of instant healing. Instead, it's a Heal Over Time (HoT), giving 120 HP over 4 seconds. The maximum number of charges you can hold has been reduced from 6 to 3, with each charge still taking 6 seconds to recharge. The old effect where it would launch up nearby enemies when popped? That's gone. However, it still grants a 15% boost to all healing received and a 60% movement speed boost for 4 seconds to whoever collects it.
Fuel for Your Divers: That speed boost and HoT are perfect for flankers or dive heroes on your team. A well-placed bubble can help them engage, get a kill, and get out safely.
Precious Resources: With only 3 charges, each bubble counts more. Think about who needs it most. Is it the tank holding the frontline, or the damage dealer trying to escape?
Sustained Support, Not Emergency Saves: Because it's a HoT, it's less effective for instantly saving someone who's about to die. It's much better for providing sustained healing during a fight or helping someone recover as they retreat.
It's Jeff! (Ultimate - Q): NOM NOM NOM!
Mechanics: Jeff dives underground and then resurfaces with a mighty "NOM NOM NOM!", swallowing all allies and enemies within a 10-meter radius. While inside Jeff, enemies take 25 damage per second, and allies heal for a massive 225 HP/s. The whole thing lasts for 6 seconds. Here's a cool new addition: any overflow healing on your swallowed allies now grants them 45 health per second as Bonus Health, stacking up to a maximum of 150 Bonus Health! The energy cost for this ultimate has increased to 4500 (up from 4000). And yes, you can still choose to spit allies out with Right-Click and enemies out with Left-Click.
Still Got Those Cliff Kills! Spitting enemies off the map for an instant kill is still a very real (and hilarious) strategy. A pro tip: when you're spitting them off a ledge, look straight down. It makes it much harder for them to use movement abilities to get back up.
Max Out That Bonus Health: If you've swallowed allies who aren't in immediate danger of dying when spat out, try to keep them in for the full duration to give them that sweet 150 Bonus Health. It makes them much tankier for the next engagement.
Timing is Key: Don't sit on your ult for too long waiting for the "perfect" 6-man chomp. Use it to swing an important fight, secure an objective, or save a key teammate. Remember, it charges faster now with Joyful Splash, but it also costs more.
The Element of Surprise: You can bait enemies into chasing you when you seem vulnerable, then pop your ult and gobble them up when they get close!
The overall changes to Jeff's abilities mean you need to be a bit more thoughtful. With charges on Aqua Burst and Healing Bubble, and that new energy meter for Hide and Seek, you can't just spam your abilities like before. His healing has shifted from big instant bursts to more sustained healing over time, while his ability to deal damage and disrupt enemies has gone up with the piercing Joyful Splash and the knock-up on Aqua Burst. This makes Jeff less of a purely reactive healer who just saves people at the last second, and more of a proactive force who helps control the flow of the fight, enables his teammates, and annoys the heck out of the enemy team. It definitely raises his skill floor a bit – you'll need good cooldown management and better awareness of the battlefield – but the payoff is a more versatile and impactful hero!
Team-Up Abilities
Team-Up abilities are a huge part of Marvel Rivals, and Jeff's got some exciting new partnerships thanks to the May 30th patch, plus an old favorite that's still kicking! These can seriously change how a game plays out.
| Team-Up Name | Partner Hero(es) | Brief Effect & Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|
| NEW! It's Jeff-nado! | Storm | Storm's Omega Hurricane merges with Jeff's ult. High AoE damage, enemy displacement, and devour. Massive fight-swinging potential. Jeff must swallow an enemy. |
| NEW! Symbiote Shenanigans | Venom | Jeff gains "Healing Tendrils" (AoE heal over time + burst heal & bonus health for allies). Venom gains +150 max HP. Great for team sustain. |
| New Friends | Groot, Rocket Raccoon | Jeff (and Rocket) can ride Groot's shoulders, gaining 35% Damage Reduction. Excellent for survivability and pushing. |
| REMOVED Chilling Charisma | Luna Snow | (Formerly gave Jeff Frozen Spitball for AoE slows). Jeff loses a source of CC. |
NEW! It's Jeff-nado! (with Storm)
Mechanics: This one is epic! When Storm activates her ultimate, Omega Hurricane, and your "It's Jeff!" ultimate is ready (or you can ult first, then Storm), you can combine them into the "Jeff-nado". Storm then controls a spinning tornado with Jeff in the middle, dealing damage over time and eventually devouring enemies caught inside. To activate, Jeff aims in a 60m radius, 90° fan-shaped area. It takes 1.2 seconds to swallow enemies within a 10m radius sphere centered on Storm, dealing 80 damage on the swallow and hitting twice per second while they're in the 'nado. Crucially, Jeff must successfully swallow at least one enemy for the Jeff-Nado to fully activate; otherwise, he just does his confused little flop.
Strategic Impact: This is a massive, game-changing ultimate. It can completely wipe out an enemy team if they're grouped up, or at the very least, force them off an objective in a hurry. It's also great for countering defensive ultimates because you can just suck the enemies away from whatever protection they were getting. With this team-up, Jeff gains the "It's Jeff-nado!" ability, and Storm gets an ability called "Shark Surge".
NEW! Symbiote Shenanigans (with Venom)
Mechanics: Venom shares a bit of his symbiote power, and Jeff gets a new ability called "Healing Tendrils" (usually on your X key). When you use it, Jeff sends out symbiote tendrils to all nearby allies within a 10m radius, linking to them. These tendrils provide continuous healing (around 70 HP/s for 3 seconds). When the ability ends, all linked allies get another burst of healing (70 HP), and any excess healing from that burst is converted into bonus health (up to 50)! This ability has a 20-second cooldown. As a bonus for this team-up, Venom, as the anchor, gets a permanent +150 maximum HP.
Strategic Impact: This provides a serious amount of area-of-effect (AoE) healing, which is amazing for keeping your team topped up during big pushes or when you're trying to hold a point against a lot of enemy damage. It's especially powerful if you can get your teammates to grab one of your Healing Bubbles first, as the healing boost from the bubble will make these tendrils even stronger. This team-up significantly boosts both Jeff's and Venom's ability to stay in the fight.
New Friends (with Groot & Rocket Raccoon)
Mechanics: This classic team-up is still here! Jeff (and Rocket Raccoon, if he's on your team too) can hop onto Groot's shoulders and ride him around. While riding, Jeff gets a 35% damage reduction.
Strategic Impact: This makes Jeff incredibly tanky. You can be much more aggressive with your Joyful Splash from the safety of Groot's shoulders, or just survive a lot more focus fire while you're healing your team. It's particularly good for pushing through heavily defended chokepoints.
Impact of Removal: Losing Frozen Spitball means Jeff no longer has a reliable source of crowd control (CC) in the form of slows. He now has to rely more on the knock-up from his regular Aqua Burst for any self-peel or disruption. His ability to control enemy movement and make it easier for his team to land shots is reduced. If you were a Jeff player who really liked using those slows for kiting or setting up kills, you'll need to adjust your playstyle a bit.
These team-up changes definitely steer Jeff in a new direction. The new ones with Storm and Venom give him access to incredibly impactful, large-scale ultimate combinations or significantly enhanced group healing. This makes him more of a team-centric enabler, especially when paired with these specific heroes. The removal of his personal CC from the Luna Snow team-up reinforces this. Jeff's draft value might now be even higher if you have a Storm or Venom on your team, as these synergies unlock powerful new strategies. Without them, he's still a solid support, but these team-ups really let him show off his full potential.
Playing Jeff Like a Pro: Top Tips & Tricks
Knowing Jeff's abilities is one thing; using them like a seasoned pro is another! Here are some top-tier tips to elevate your Jeff game:
Positioning Prowess
- Remember that "off-angle" support style we talked about? Don't just hide behind your tank. Use the piercing effect of Joyful Splash by finding angles where you can heal allies and damage enemies simultaneously.
- Hide and Seek is your best friend for quick flanks to surprise the enemy backline or to get to high ground for better sightlines and safer healing.
- Always, always have an escape route planned, especially now that Hide and Seek runs on limited energy. Know where you're going before you dive!
Bubble Economy
- With only three charges and a heal-over-time effect, you need to be smart with your Healing Bubbles. Place them proactively along paths your teammates are likely to take when retreating or advancing, or right where your divers are about to engage.
- Talk to your team! Let them know where you're putting bubbles so they can make use of them.
- Don't underestimate that speed boost! It's often just as valuable as the heal, helping teammates chase down kills or escape sticky situations.
Dive Discipline (Hide and Seek)
- This isn't for staying invisible all game anymore. Use your dives for specific, tactical purposes: dodging a big enemy ultimate (that Unstoppable is clutch!), quickly repositioning to a safer spot, or popping up for a surprise Aqua Burst on an unsuspecting enemy.
- Keep one eye on that energy bar at all times! Getting caught out of position with no dive energy is a recipe for disaster.
Ultimate Impact ("It's Jeff!")
- Think carefully about who you're swallowing. Prioritize high-threat enemies (like an ulting Duelist or a crucial enemy support) to take them out of the fight, or grab a low-health ally to save them and give them that sweet bonus HP.
- Environmental kills are still amazing and super fun. If you see an opportunity to spit an enemy off the map, go for it! But don't get so focused on it that you miss a more strategic swallow that could win the team fight.
- Let your team know what you're doing with your ult! A quick callout like "NOM NOM NOM on their healer!" or "Saving our tank!" can make a big difference.
- Try baiting enemies into chasing you when you look like an easy kill, then surprise them with your ultimate.
Target Priority (Joyful Splash & Aqua Burst)
- With Joyful Splash, always try to position yourself so your stream hits allies who need healing and any enemies in the line of fire. Maximize that value!
- Use your Aqua Burst knock-ups strategically. They're perfect for interrupting channeled abilities, stopping enemy ultimates in their tracks, or peeling for a teammate who's getting focused down.
Communication is key in a team game like Marvel Rivals. Use pings and voice chat to coordinate with your team about your intentions, enemy locations, and bubble placements.
Just like before the rework, try to reload your Healing Bubbles in key areas before a fight breaks out. This way, your teammates can just walk into them for instant healing and that valuable speed boost when they need it most.
Counters & Tough Matchups
Even the cutest land shark has things to watch out for. Knowing who can give you a hard time will help you play smarter and stay alive longer.
General Counterplay Philosophy Against Jeff
- The biggest thing for enemies to exploit now is your Hide and Seek energy. If they can force you to use up your dive energy, you become much more vulnerable when you resurface.
- Burst damage is still very effective. Since your Healing Bubbles are heal-over-time and your Hide and Seek self-heal is lower, a lot of damage coming in fast can overwhelm you.
- Crowd Control (CC) like stuns, roots, or silences can still lock you down, especially if you're caught out of Hide and Seek or if they time it right as you emerge.
- Smart enemies will try to pressure you into wasting your Healing Bubbles when you don't get full value from them.
Specific Hero Counters
- Hela, Hawkeye: Even with your buffed Oblivious Cuteness making their headshots less painful, these heroes can still pour out a lot of damage. If they catch you out of position or as you pop up from a dive, they can be a big threat.
- Iron Man: His bombs from above can still hit you while you're in Hide and Seek if he predicts your path, and his general splash damage can be tough to deal with.
- The Punisher: If he gets close, his shotgun can shred through your health pool very quickly.
- Emma Frost: If her grab ability is still a high-damage threat to Strategists, she can be incredibly dangerous. You'll want to keep your distance.
- Magneto: If he can pull you out of a good position or interrupt your abilities, he can cause a lot of problems.
- Squirrel Girl: Her acorns can deal a surprising amount of damage and can overwhelm your healing, plus she has CC options.
- Scarlet Witch, Cloak & Dagger: Heroes with reliable CC in their kits will always be something you need to be wary of.
- Spider-Man: A good Spider-Man can use his mobility to catch you off guard if you overextend from your team.
- Iron Fist: If he can land his lock-on ability on you, it can make it very hard to escape, forcing you into a fight you might not want.
- Peni Parker: Her mines can be a nasty surprise if you dive onto them or if she places them well to punish your ultimate attempts.
- Loki: A clever Loki can use his clone to trick your ultimate. You might think you've swallowed the real Loki, but you've just wasted your ult on a decoy!
- Other Jeffs: Believe it or not, a rival Jeff can be a counter! If you hear an enemy Jeff activate their ult, you can use your own "It's Jeff!" to swallow your teammates and protect them, effectively neutralizing the enemy Jeff's attack.
Best Teammates & Synergies
Jeff is a team player, and he really shines when paired with heroes who complement his unique style!
General Synergies to Look For
- Dive Buddies & Flankers: Heroes who love to dive into the enemy backline can make great use of your Healing Bubbles for that speed boost and heal-over-time. Think of heroes like Spider-Man or Iron Fist. You can follow up their aggression with your piercing Joyful Splash to support them from a safe distance.
- Peel & Protection: Since you might be positioning more aggressively to get value from Joyful Splash, having teammates who can peel for you or protect you if you get focused is invaluable. Heroes like Groot are great for this.
- Burst Damage Dealers: Teammates who can quickly capitalize on the enemies you knock up with Aqua Burst can lead to some fast kills.
- Teams That Need Sustained Healing: With your reworked Joyful Splash providing constant healing and your bubbles offering a HoT, Jeff is great for team compositions that expect longer, more drawn-out fights rather than quick burst encounters.
Specific Hero Synergies
Jeff can provide Healing Bubbles to help Namor set up his abilities safely. Plus, Namor's ultimate, which can group enemies up, is a fantastic setup for your "It's Jeff!" ultimate or just for maximizing your Joyful Splash value.
Besides their "New Friends" team-up with Groot, Rocket's ability to provide a damage boost to the team can really complement Jeff's enabling playstyle, helping to secure kills while Jeff keeps everyone healthy.
Teaming up with another Strategist like Mantis could create a very strong double-support core. Mantis can offer damage boosts or different types of healing that pair well with Jeff's heal-over-time effects, leading to a very survivable team. However, it's worth noting some feel Jeff lacks specific utility like Mantis's damage boost, so this pairing might be more about raw healing output than diverse utility.
Jeff's ultimate can be used in creative ways with aggressive tanks. For example, you can swallow Hulk just before he lands his big jump, effectively repositioning him for a devastating surprise attack on the enemy backline. Your Joyful Splash can then keep him sustained while he causes chaos.
Team Composition Philosophy
- Jeff fits really well into team compositions that want to play aggressively but also need good sustain to keep that aggression going.
- Remember, he's less of a passive "heal bot" now and more of an "off-angle enabler". If your team absolutely needs a dedicated, high-output healer who sits in the backline and does nothing but pump out heals, there might be other Strategists who fit that specific role better – unless your team is built to take full advantage of Jeff's new offensive capabilities and his powerful team-ups with Storm or Venom.
- It might be worth considering having a second Strategist on your team if your composition really needs strong defensive ultimates (like shields or damage immunity). Jeff's ultimate, while game-changing, is primarily offensive or utility-based rather than purely defensive.
The rework, especially the piercing Joyful Splash and his new offensive team-ups, makes Jeff particularly good with teams that can either group enemies up (making them easy targets for his abilities) or benefit from his ability to provide healing and pressure from an unexpected angle. He's fantastic with Vanguards who like to get in the thick of a skirmish, as Jeff can hit multiple allies and enemies with his primary fire. He might be a little less effective in team comps that are very spread out and focused on long-range poke battles, as his piercing Joyful Splash loses some of its multi-target value, and his single-target healing isn't as potent as some other supports.
Go Get 'Em, Shark Star!
Phew! That was a deep dive, wasn't it? But now you're armed with everything you need to know to truly master Jeff the Land Shark in his reworked state! He's an incredibly fun, unique, and rewarding hero to play, and with this new toolkit, he brings even more to the table.
Remember, the reworked Jeff is all about:
- Versatile Healing and Damage with that awesome piercing Joyful Splash.
- Clever Disruption using the knock-ups from Aqua Burst.
- Tactical Mobility and Escapes with a more resource-managed Hide and Seek.
- Sustained Support through his heal-over-time Healing Bubbles.
- And, of course, Game-Changing Potential with his "It's Jeff!" ultimate and those fantastic new Team-Ups with Storm and Venom!
"So, what are you waiting for? Get out there, practice these tips, experiment with different team compositions, and most importantly, have an absolute blast terrorizing the battlefield as Marvel Rivals' most adorable (and deadly) land shark!"
Now go make some waves, friend! It's Jeff!