Second Dinner, the developer of Marvel Snap, has just released an extensive OTA patch that marks one of the most significant balance updates for the game so far. This overhaul targets the increasingly game-dominating Bounce deck archetype with a hefty nerf while administering buffs to certain select picks in an attempt to realign the game's meta. The Bounce decks, with their recent overpowering performance, have been under the spotlight, warranting urgent attention.

This balance update follows players' experiences, whether they were grinding the ranked ladder aiming for the Infinite rank or were just honing skills in the Conquest mode, the game's newly introduced feature. Clearly, the dominance of Bounce decks was becoming undeniable and restricting the scope of balanced gameplay. Addressing this issue, the developer has chosen to hit a tactical halt on the Bounce deck's overwhelming momentum.

Simultaneously, there's been a welcome buff for characters like Magik and Living Tribunal. These under-appreciated picks are anticipated to have an augmented presence in the game owing to the slight buffs. This is a calculated effort by the developers to promote the use of non-meta characters in the game and diversify the gameplay further.

The Marvel Snap update has brought significant changes, primarily nerfs to Bounce-type decks, such as cards like Kitty Pryde and Hit Monkey, that have been performing exceptionally. Kitty Pryde's 1/0 power with +2 on return has been altered to 1/2 power with +1 on return. This change substantially reduces her influence, dropping her common 8 Power down to 6, which should rebalance the gameplay significantly.

Another significant Nerf is Hit-Monkey, whose power has been refactored from 2/0 to 3/2. With this change, Hit-Monkey is expected to be less efficient in playing early in the game, reducing those moments of early buffing through it. The reasoning for this shift is less about reducing inherent power but more about taking away the efficiency of playing a 1-cost on the last turn, which would typically add another 2 or more Power.

Spider-Ham, despite not being a Bounce card, has also received a Nerf since it was highly efficient in Bounce decks. Its specification is now changed from 1/1 to 2/2. Spider-Ham, by transforming the highest-cost card of the opponents into a Pig, was dealing excessive damage to archetypes like She-Hulk, Death, and Apocalypse revolving around high-cost cards. Hence, making it less efficient aims to reduce its play rate and restore balance.

While Nerfs take center stage, there have been card buffs as well. Phoenix Force, a card belonging to the Season Pass, has been adjusted to make it more appealing. The 'Power on Reveal' for Phoenix Force changed from 5/6 to 4/5 to enhance deck building and its overall influence in the game. This update targets making Phoenix more accessible to players and restoring the power balance with Multiple Man.

In conclusion, this balance update promises to significantly shift Marvel Snap's game dynamics. While the Nerf to Bounce deck archetypes aims to restore the balance of power, buffs to lesser-used characters intend to provide fresh tactical advantages. As players adapt to these changes and recalibrate their decks, it will be exciting to observe the impact of the update on the overall meta.