Marvel Rivals

Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X
Genre: Online Multiplayer
Publisher: NetEase
Release Date: Dec. 6, 2024

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'Marvel Rivals' Season 3.5 Begins Next Week, Adds Blade As Playable Hero, New Map, Game Mode And Team-Ups - Trailer

by Rainier on July 30, 2025 @ 2:52 p.m. PDT

Set within an expansive and ever-evolving Marvel Universe, Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play, Super Hero team-based PVP shooter.

Marvel Rivals is a cooperative, Super Hero team-based PVP shooter that lets players assemble an ever-evolving all-star squad of Super Heroes and Super Villains while battling with unique super powers across a dynamic lineup of destructible maps from across the Marvel Multiverse. 

Marvel Rivals features a storyline crafted by the NetEase writing team where the merciless clash between the tyrannical dictator Doctor Doom and his future counterpart from the year 2099 has forced countless universes to collide in the Timestream Entanglement, creating new worlds and crises still unknown.

Now, Super Heroes and Super Villains from across the multiverse must fight together and against one another as disparate groups seek to defeat both Dooms before one achieves domination of these realities. Familiar faces become newfound foes while former enemies become the greatest of allies in Marvel Rivals!

You’re not just higher-dimensional beings controlling game characters, nor are you elite players pressing buttons at high APM — you ARE the heroes. We wanted to take these Super Heroes and push them like never before! Use Magneto to cast Metal Bulwark to protect your teammates from projectile damage. Choose Hela and call upon forces of Nastrond to annihilate your enemies. Choose Venom to tap into the power of the symbiote and devour your enemies or pick Adam Warlock and unleash the potential of quantum magic, establishing a soul bond with your teammates to charge ahead or resurrect your entire team. Better yet, leverage the power of flight by choosing Iron Man, Storm, and other flying heroes to suppress enemies using aerial combat techniques.

Heroes are split into three distinct roles based on their unique power inclinations: Vanguard, Duelist, and Strategist. You’re free to pick your preferred role and hero, teaming up with allies to create a versatile and dynamic lineup for battle.

Marvel Games and NetEase Games have unveiled full details for Marvel Rivals Season 3.5: The Abyss Awaken.

The game’s third season continuation is set to kick off August 8 and will introduce Blade as a playable hero along with a new map, Throne of Knull. Season 3.5 will also introduce new features, Team-Ups and a new game mode: Resource Rumble.

Season 3.0 further ignited the battle: the mighty Phoenix was ambushed, forcing most of the Phoenix Force to seek refuge within a cosmic egg, awaiting its fiery rebirth. But as heroes clashed, the Phoenix Egg cracked prematurely. The scattered Phoenix Force found new hosts among our heroes, yet it also awakened an ancient evil. Knull, the King in Black, has now risen to full power, wielding the All-Black once more, and his Queen in Black still spreads her wings. Amid this chaos, Blade, forever walking the razor's edge between two worlds, will be the first to light a fire upon the abyss, bringing fresh power to the fight.

Blade (Duelist) - In Season 3.5, the long-awaited Daywalker finally joins Marvel Rivals! Blade is a true Duelist; his unique bloodline gives him incredible strength, and his mastery of combat puts it to full use. He can pressure foes at mid-to-close range with his shotgun, and reduce their healing at just the right moment, then unleash his ravenous Ancestral Sword, awaken the Dhampir bloodline, and slice through every last enemy! And when the time is right, he will draw the legendary Sword of Dracula, dashing through foes and leaving a deadly trail in his wake. In that moment, Blade is the fiercest force on the battlefield. A true hero never looks back!

A new game mode, Resource Rumble, and its map, Throne of Knull, will arrive with the August 22 update. It will launch in Quick Match first to gather player feedback and fine-tune the experience, before rolling it out for Competitive play. Stay tuned for a gameplay deep dive soon!

Operation: Shield the Community

Great teamwork starts with great communication. To keep Marvel Rivals a positive experience for all, the team has been upgrading the in-game environment. As of July 24, in addition to player reports and manual review, all in-game voice chat will now be automatically screened by the system, with human review. This means we'll catch more toxic behavior, and players using inappropriate language will be penalized, making the game a better place for everyone.

With the Season 3.5 update, we're also adding a custom filter for text chat. If a message contains a muted word, it will be filtered out just for you. This feature will empower players to tailor their experience. We'll also regularly review popular muted words and consider adding them to the official list.

Competitive Quitting Penalties & Compensation

We know how frustrating it is when a teammate leaves a Competitive match. This creates an unfair situation where the team with fewer players has a much harder time winning, and if they stick it out until the end, they still face losing competitive points. To combat this, in Season 3.5, we're increasing penalties for players who quit: longer bans from Competitive play, and bigger point deductions. For the remaining players who stay, we'll now offer some point compensation at the end of the match. Plus, surrender votes will require just one less than the number of remaining teammates. If someone leaves due to unavoidable system issues, we'll review it and handle penalties fairly, and we're speeding up the appeals process for mistaken bans.

Ignite Mid-Season Finals

From August 6 -10, the Marvel Rivals Ignite Mid-Season Finals will be held in Guangzhou, China! Ten factions from around the world will compete for the championship. Stay tuned to our website and social media for more info.

Season 3.5 Updates and New Team-Ups

The Season 3.5 update brings a fresh round of changes to team-up abilities: We're removing Guardian Revival (Adam Warlock - Mantis/Star-Lord) and Atlas Bond (Iron Fist - Luna Snow) from play. Loki is leaving the Ragnarok Rebirth (Hela - Thor/Loki) team-up. Two brand new team-ups are being added: Duality Dance (Adam Warlock - Luna Snow) and Vibrant Vitality (Mantis - Groot/Loki). Also, some team-ups are welcoming new members: Iron Fist joins Chilling Assault (Luna Snow - Hawkeye), Star-Lord connects to the Rocket Network (Rocket Raccoon - Peni Parker), and Blade launches into Lunar Force (Cloak & Dagger - Moon Knight). 

In addition to the above, players can continue to get all the latest information from the Game Update featuring full Patch Notes and Hero Balance adjustments.

In Marvel Rivals, the bonds and friendships that once lived only in the lore are brought to life on the battlefield through Team-Up Abilities, further enriching and changing your combat strategy. Magneto can receive a touch of Scarlet Witch’s chaos magic and use his giant steel sword to slash at enemies with a chaos energy wave. Hulk can enhance Iron Man’s Nano Armor, enabling it to emit incredibly powerful gamma energy infused in his Unibeam. Of course, the classic scene where Rocket Raccoon rides on Groot’s shoulders and fires wildly at the enemy can also be recreated in the game. When up against overwhelming enemies, even Venom and the Spider-Totems can set aside their differences to morph into a united Venomized force, piercing through the battlefield with dark, lethal spikes!

Step into the boots of your favorite Super Hero and dive headfirst into a tapestry of adventures! Carve your saga in the epics of Asgard, now transformed by the World Tree into Yggsgard, by vying for control of Jarnbjorn, or seizing control of Odin’s Royal Palace and Throne Room. Leave your mark in the cyber database of Tokyo 2099 by protecting an impetuous, young Spider-Hero, or steadfastly upholding the Great Web. Vanquish foes with your actions and craft your own legends across the Marvel Multiverse!

Every battle players participate in will bring new opportunities to wreak havoc on the battlefield using your Super Hero powers. Marvel Rivals lets you tear down walls to open shortcuts across the map or destroy a building’s foundation to collapse it on your foes. Embrace your strength as you destroy a bridge with Hulk or obliterate a building with Storm’s atmokinesis!

Prepare to play as your favorite Super Heroes and Villains from the Marvel Universe as you battle it out in heroic events and iconic locations! Reach a new level of team play collaboration from Team-Up Abilities, unleash joint super powers as you fulfill your role, tear down the battlefield, and strive to win in the exciting fights that await you in Marvel Rivals!

Key Features:

  • A Deep and Varied Marvel Roster: Choose from a vast array of fan-favorite and cult-classic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains from across the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and many more from across the Marvel Multiverse. With the Alpha Test in May, players will have access to more than a dozen playable Super Heroes and Super Villains, including iconic characters such as Black Panther, Spider-Man, Magneto, and Magik.
  • Fast and Fun 6v6 Action with Ever-Changing Game Dynamics: With intricate environments, fast-paced gameplay, and ever-changing battlefields, there's never a dull moment in Marvel Rivals! Battle as Super Heroes and Super Villains with incredible abilities and combine your powers to bring unexpected fun to the battlefield in a matter of seconds.
  • Dynamic Hero Synergy: Coordinate unique combinations between characters to ignite surprising Team-Up Skills! Unleash the synergy of combined superpowers and invent new tactics that can turn the tide of combat. Ride on Groot’s back as Rocket Raccoon to take on your enemies as a dangerous duo, unleash Gamma energy as Hulk to charge Iron Man’s armor for massive damage, and so much more!
  • Creative Environment Destruction: Tear your way through iconic Marvel worlds across destructible environments! From Asgard to the Tokyo of 2099, use superpowers to alter these environments, reshape the terrain, and craft a strategic advantage on the battlefield. Take cover to dodge attacks or use makeshift weapons to strike down enemies. Players will find countless ways to utilize the environment to claim victory!
  • Continually Evolving Universe and Robust Post-Launch Updates: The Marvel Multiverse brings infinite possibilities! Each seasonal drop will introduce new Super Heroes to the battlefield along with challenging and diverse maps! Unlock new content to implement across various gameplay strategies while experiencing thrilling action and endless possibilities in these adventurous team battles!

Marvel Rivals is available for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam / Epic Games Store).


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