Updates#
Marvel Rivals ships a season roughly every 8 weeks, with an X.5 mid-season update in between. This page records the major changes.
Update Cadence#
| Update Type | Frequency | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Season update | Roughly every 8 weeks | New hero, new map, new battle pass, balance changes |
| X.5 update | Mid-season | New hero, more balance changes |
| Regular patches | About weekly | Balance tweaks, bug fixes, event launches |
Current Season: Season 10#
Season 10, “Blasphemy of the God Butcher”, opened on September 11, 2026.
New Content#
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| New hero | Gorr the God Butcher, the 54th playable hero, a Duelist |
| Hero total | Now at 54 |
| New map | A new battleground arrives within the season |
| Battle pass | A new pass tied to the season theme |
Hero Changes#
- Scarlet Witch: fully reworked, with a new kit built around marks and pursuit
- All Strategists: ultimate charge rate lowered
- Black Cat and Red Hood: some of their survival tools nerfed
- Scope: about 70% of heroes (roughly 38) buffed or nerfed to varying degrees
New Hero: Gorr the God Butcher#
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Role | Duelist |
| Combat style | Melee, summons black berserkers to fight for him |
| Core mechanic | The black berserkers are both his damage source and his survivability; sacrificing them buys extra health |
| Weakness | Struggles against burst heroes who can delete the berserkers before they take shape |
| Team-Ups | Ragnarok (with Hela), Hive Mind (with Venom) |
Later Patches#
Several regular patches shipped within the season: one added the ability to gift bundles, and another adjusted penalties for AFK play, intentional feeding and mid-match quits.
Season Lineage#
Since launching in December 2024, Marvel Rivals has shipped eleven seasons (including Season 0).
| Season | Theme | Start | New Heroes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | Dooms’ Day Rise | 2024-12-06 | 33 launch heroes |
| Season 1 | Eternal Night Falls | 2025-01-10 | Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman / The Thing, Human Torch |
| Season 2 | Hellfire Gala | 2025-04-11 | Emma Frost / Ultron |
| Season 3 | The Abyss Awakens | 2025-07-11 | Phoenix (Jean Grey) / Blade |
| Season 4 | Heart of the Dragon | 2025-09-12 | Angela / Daredevil |
| Season 5 | Love and War | 2025-11-14 | Gambit / Rogue |
| Season 6 | Museum Night | 2026-01-16 | Deadpool / Elsa Bloodstone |
| Season 7 | The Hunt Begins | 2026-03-20 | White Fox / Black Cat |
| Season 8 | Sins of Archnemax | 2026-05-15 | Devil Dinosaur / Cyclops |
| Season 9 | Mystery of Thebes | 2026-07-10 | Jubilee / Red Hood |
| Season 10 | Blasphemy of the God Butcher | 2026-09-11 | Gorr the God Butcher |
Each season usually brings two new heroes: one at season start, another with the mid-season X.5 update. For Season 10, only Gorr has been announced so far.
Change Directions Across Seasons#
| Direction | Notes |
|---|---|
| Hero count | Grew from 33 launch heroes to 54 |
| Team-Up system | Reworked in Season 9: base effect always active, enhanced effect requires the partner |
| Ranked rules | Added Chrono Shields, hero bans at high ranks, and a mid-season soft reset |
| Map count | Keeps growing with each season |
| Battle pass rules | Explicitly never expires; purchases carry over into later seasons |
Future Updates#
The next full season is expected to open right after the current one ends. At the current pace, every season brings one new hero, at least one new map, and one wide-sweeping balance pass.
FAQ#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How often does the game update | Major season updates come roughly every 8 weeks, X.5 updates in between, plus regular patches about weekly |
| Which season is it now | Season 10, opened on September 11, 2026 |
| When do new heroes arrive | Every season, with another mid-season |
| Do updates require a re-download | Yes, season updates usually include a large download |
| Will patches nerf my hero | Yes; balance changes are broad in scope, so keep a meta-independent backup hero |
Patch Types and Their Impact#
Marvel Rivals updates fall into three types with very different blast radii:
| Type | Content | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Season update | New hero, new map, battle pass, broad balance | Both gameplay and comp trends shift |
| X.5 update | New hero, partial balance | Hits single-hero strength |
| Regular patch | Balance tweaks, fixes, events | Usually does not change the big picture |
How to Read a Balance Patch#
When reading patch notes, focus on directional changes rather than exact numbers:
- Charge rate changes: directly affect teamfight pacing and engage frequency
- Mechanics added or removed: can redefine a hero’s role
- Role-wide uniform changes: the biggest blast radius, e.g. ultimate adjustments across all Strategists
- Survivability changes: decide whether a hero can hold their ground in a season
Changes to a single damage number, unless large, usually matter less in real matches than comps and execution.