NetEase GamesSeason 2 is the next major update coming to Marvel Rivals, bringing with it a fresh new theme, a new hero and much more.
The first season of Marvel Rivals was absolutely packed with content, bringing plenty of events, maps, and even the entire Fantastic Four as playable characters. But the devs have promised new updates at a rapid pace, and Season 2 is already shaping up to be a big one.
So, here’s everything we know about the Season 2 update, including when it’s due to arrive.
Marvel Rivals Season 2 start date
The second season is scheduled to arrive on Friday, April 11, 2025, as confirmed by the devs themselves in an announcement on April 3.
Season 1 began as soon as Season 0 ended, with no downtime in between, so we expect it to be the same this time around.
NetEase GamesSeason 2 theme
Following the Endless Night theme that took over the first season, Season 2 will revolve around the Hellfire Gala. This was revealed by a piece of in-game lore, which mentioned that “[Doctor] Doom has a gala to attend.”
It was then confirmed in the official announcement trailer, which showed off a number of characters in their fancy clothes, including Rocket, Cloak & Dagger, Star-Lord, and many more.
The Hellfire Gala was a popular X-Men storyline from 2021, where the doors of Krakoa were opened to the rest of the world for the first time for an event celebrating mutant culture. It was also where a new X-Men team was unveiled.
One of the most memorable elements from the story is the flashy outfits worn by each character, which were suits and gowns based on their superhero uniforms. So, expect the Season 2 Battle Pass to be full of these skins, with even more coming to the store.
New hero
A new hero will arrive as part of the update, and while it was originally expected to be Blade, it’s actually going to be the mutant Emma Frost.
She’s set to be a Vanguard character, making use of her diamond skin ability to soak up damage. Based on the trailers released so far, it appears that she’ll have two different stances: one that allows her to deal a hitscan ranged attack and another that turns her into a melee tank.
One of her abilities is also a shield that can be deployed ahead, blocking incoming damage and buffing nearby allies. Meanwhile, her Ultimate mind controls enemies and pulls them into an AoE while draining their health in the process.
Upon launch, she’ll have two skins available: Emma Frost – X-Revolution & Blue Sapphire.
While Emma Frost will be the launch hero, the trailer also revealed that Ultron will be released in the mid-season update. The iconic villain has long been rumored in Marvel Rivlas, but now we have official confirmation.
New map
As part of the Hellfire Gala theme, a new map is being introduced, set in Krakoa: Hellfire Gala: Krakoa.
This sentient island started out as an antagonist for a number of Marvel heroes, but became the home of mutants in later comic runs.
As for map rotation, two maps will be retired from ranked play: Yggsgard: Royal Palace and Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya. You can still experience them in quick play and custom game modes.
Season 2 battle pass
Marvel Rivals’ Season 2 battle pass features 10 heroic skins. There’ll also be a seasonal event named Cerebro Database which can earn you the free Mantis’ skin, Flora Maiden.
For the first time, Marvel Rivals has exclusive bonus seasonal rewards. If you complete 9 matches you can receive the free costume: Scarlet Witch Chaos Gown.
Another skin, Namor Will of Galacta, is available through Twitch Drops as well.
There’ll also be new weekly missions and rewards.
Rank reset & ranked play
Your rank will be demoted by 9 divisions based on 1.5 ranks. So, if you ended Season 1.5 at Diamond 1, you’ll start Season 2 at Silver 1.
If you reach gold in Season 2, you’ll get the Emma Frost Golden Diamond. Remember, this reward is given to you automatically once the season ends.
Now, you can only play ranked after you reach level 15. That said, if you’ve played competitive before, this restriction is lifted.
Finally, the points you receive at the end of each match is increasingly calculated based on the weight of your individual performance.
Buffs and nerfs
As always, the Season 2 update comes with a ton of balancing changes to keep the meta fresh and fair. Doctor Strange and The Thing are both being hit with substianal nerfs, while Pen Parker is set to receive major health and damage improvements.
For a full breakdown, check out our guide on every character buff and nerf included in the patch.
Hero fixes & optimizations
- Resolved an issue where Captain America couldn’t ricochet enemy projectiles while moving backward.
- Fixed a glitch that sometimes caused abnormal camera angles after being revived by Adam Warlock‘s Ultimate Ability.
- Hell’s Heaven – Super-Soldier Factory, Namor’s Ultimate Ability could occasionally fail to deal damage when targeting the raising pillars. This issue has been resolved.
- Addressed an issue where Bucky would sometimes descend before ascending while unleashing his Ultimate Ability in unstable network conditions. Now, the Winter Soldier rises to the occasion without any time-traveling hiccups.
- Fixed an issue where Cloak or Dagger sometimes left their character model lingering for a brief moment during form switches.
- Resolved a rare glitch where Iron Fist could end up floating indefinitely.
- Fixed a rarely occurring issue where Wolverine’s Feral Leap could leave him stuck in an abnormal state, unable to finish the move.
- Resolved a rare occurrence where being hit by Wolverine’s Feral Leap could render all abilities unusable.
What else to expect
On top of everything mentioned above, you can also expect the following content:
- Gifting system
- Easier Faction seeking & recruitment system
- Host transfer for groups
We’ll be sure to update this page with more details on Season 2 as soon as they’re announced. For more on Marvel Rivals, take a look at our tier list of the best characters and the ideal PC settings to get the smoothest performance.
