Marvel Rivals Season 6 launched January 16, bringing Deadpool as a brand new Hero. The iconic mutant has been heavily requested ever since Marvel Rivals launched, and now players will be able to dive in and push the front line forward while utilizing multiple styles of play.
There's a fresh Season 6 Battle Pass too, giving players plenty to claim before the arrival of the next Season of Marvel Rivals. Now that NetEase has revealed the full details for Marvel Rivals Season 6, we can start to dig into what's changed. It's remarkable just how quickly the game's meta can switch up with each major update, and it's no surprise that Marvel Rivals still ranks highly on our best PC games list.
I've now played 300 hours of Marvel Rivals since launch, and I've been jumping in at the start of every season to try out the new Hero. I'm very excited to get my hands on Deadpool, and absolutely ready to try out his role-switching abilities. It's not just the arrival of Deadpool that'll switch up Season 6, however, as there are changes to Heroes like Hulk and Gambit that will surely change the meta going forward.
Here's the Marvel Rivals Season 6 launch info, alongside details on what to expect from the new major update.
Marvel Rivals Season 6 start time
Marvel Rivals Season 6 launched January 16 at the times below:
- East Coast (US): 6AM ET
- West Coast (US): 3AM PT
- United Kingdom: 11AM GMT
- Australia (Sydney): 10PM AEST
- Japan (Tokyo): 8PM JST
This matched the launch timings of the last five seasons, which have been like clockwork.
Downtime kicks in, and then Marvel Rivals always goes back online precisely two hours later.
Marvel Rivals Season 6 Downtime
Marvel Rivals Season 6 downtime began at the following times, and lasted 2 hours.
- East Coast (US): 4AM ET
- West Coast (US): 1AM PT
- United Kingdom: 9AM GMT
- Australia (Sydney): 8PM AEST
- Japan (Tokyo): 6PM JST
Marvel Rivals Deadpool
Deadpool finally joins Marvel Rivals in Season 6, and as expected, he's a completely unique type of Hero. In a first for the game, Deadpool is actually a Vanguard, Duelist and Strategist all rolled into one. He has dual pistols and a katana to deal huge damage either up close or from a distance, he has the ability to place down a shield bubble, and can even heal teammates with his main attacks.
As the match progresses, Deadpool can choose to upgrade certain abilities. His Ultimate then tasks you with carrying out certain attacks, then you'll gain bonuses based on how well you do. Strategist abilities operate in a similar way, while Vanguard is all about throwing down a shield and tanking damage. As such Deadpool is easily the most complex Hero we've seen in Marvel Rivals so far, and it'll take some time before his abilities and role-switching becomes clearly understood.
Marvel Rivals Season 6 Hero Balancing
The following Hero balancing updates are now live in Marvel Rivals Season 6:
- Hero balancing (buffs): Hulk, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist, Blade, Cloak and Dagger, Emma Frost, Black Panther
- Hero Balancing (nerfs): Angela, Daredevil, Gambit, Invisible Woman, Rocket Raccoon
Marvel Rivals Season 6 ranked changes
There's plenty of Ranked Changes added as part of Marvel Rivals Season 6. Here's the headline info:
- Rank rewards: Reach Gold for a bonus Deadpool costume
- Nameplates: Diamond and Platinum, Crests of Honor for Grandmaster, Celestial, Eternity, and Top 500
- Placement: From Season 5 onward, your first 10 ranked matches are Placement Matches. Your performance determines your starting tier
Marvel Rivals Season 6 live coverage as it happened
Hello there
Hello and welcome in, as I cover the live launch of Marvel Rivals Season 6. We’re now less than 24 hours away from the new season, which adds Deadpool as a much-requested Hero. Here’s what you need to know.
When does downtime kick in?
Marvel Rivals will enter downtime at the following times on January 16, 2026:
- East Coast (US): 4AM ET
- West Coast (US): 1AM PT
- United Kingdom: 9AM GMT
- Australia (Sydney): 8PM AEST
- Japan (Tokyo): 6PM JST
So, when will Season 6 actually launch?
Marvel Rivals Season 6 is expected to launch 2 hours after downtime kicks in. As such, it’ll be here around the times below:
- East Coast (US): 6AM ET
- West Coast (US): 3AM PT
- United Kingdom: 11AM GMT
- Australia (Sydney): 10PM AEST
- Japan (Tokyo): 8PM JST
Deadpool arrives in Marvel Rivals
After being pretty much the most-requested Hero for Marvel Rivals since launch, Deadpool will be added as part of Season 6. He’s a mix of all three classes, and can heal teammates, place down shields, or just focus on outputting heaps of damage.
Season 6 Roadmap revealed
NetEase has now revealed the full Marvel Rivals Season 6 roadmap. Looks like Season 6.5 will arrive February 13, but before then there’s a new map, a new event, and skins for Spider-Man, Hela, and more!
Season 6 kicks off with the Whack-a-Jeff event
With the release of Season 6 of Marvel Rivals, the Whac-a-Jeff event kicks off on January 16th UTC! Complete different missions to feed Deadpool mouth-watering chimichangas by catching the fastest, sneakiest, and most adorable shark in the world! Unlock exclusive gallery… pic.twitter.com/wyc6J54AoYJanuary 13, 2026
Complete different missions to feed Deadpool mouth-watering chimichangas by catching the fastest, sneakiest, and most adorable shark in the world! You can then unlock a brand new outfit for Jeff the Land Shark.
All new Battle Pass revealed
NetEase has revealed the Battle Pass for Season 6. There’s new outfits for Invisible Woman, Gambit, Venom, and more. Check out the trailer above to see if you’re favorite character is getting new items.
Buffs and nerfs for Marvel Rivals Season 6
NetEase has revealed the buffs and nerfs for each Hero that's changing in Marvel Rivals Season 6. You can read the full details here, or check below for an overview:
- Hero balancing (buffs): Hulk, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist, Blade, Cloak and Dagger, Emma Frost, Black Panther
- Hero Balancing (nerfs): Angela, Daredevil, Gambit, Invisible Woman, Rocket Raccoon
Twitch Drops for Season 6
There's new Twitch Drops for Marvel Rivals Season 6. Watch any Marvel Rivals streamer on Twitch and you'll gradually unlock the rewards shown in the image above. After 4 hours, you'll unlock the Will of Galacta costume for Invisible Woman.
That’s all for now
I’m heading off now, but I’ll be back tomorrow morning to cover the launch of Marvel Rivals Season 6. This will include a look at when the game goes into downtime, and moment to moment impressions once everything is back online.
Marvel Rivals Season 6 releases later today!
We’ll see Marvel Rivals Season 6 go into downtime in just one hour. It’ll be offline for approximately two hours before all of the new content comes out.
Mr. Pool's Interdimensional Toy Box
Deadpool arrives with a new Team Up with Jeff the Land Shark. Jeff gains Jeff's Cuddle Buddy ability through his Team-Up with Deadpool. As the Team-Up Anchor, Deadpool gains bonuses depending on what role he’s playing. This could make him a very good combo with Jeff, though we’ll have to see how powerful Cuddle Buddy is.
Marvel Rivals Season 6 estimated release time
Marvel Rivals Season 6 is expected to come out at the times below:
- East Coast (US): 6AM ET
- West Coast (US): 3AM PT
- United Kingdom: 11AM GMT
- Australia (Sydney): 10PM AEST
- Japan (Tokyo): 8PM JST
Just 30 minutes until downtime
Marvel Rivals Season 5.5 will end in just 30 minutes. The game will then go offline for downtime, and you won’t be able to access it. Make sure to start finishing up any games and challenges now, as you may be kicked from the game in the middle of a round.
Marvel Rivals is down
Marvel Rivals is currently down, as the game goes offline and the devs prepare for the new season.
This is expected to last two hours. Look out for an update file that’ll drop any minute, you’ll need it to access Marvel Rivals Season 6.
Marvel Rivals Season 6 update file has arrived
You can now download the Marvel Rivals Season 6 update file!
It’s 42.4 GB for me over on Steam, so expect a similar size file on other platforms. You’ll need it installed by the time the game goes back online if you want to jump in right away so get that download going!
Just 90 minutes of downtime to go
According to NetEase’s own estimates, and based on how previous seasons have worked, we can expect 90 more minutes of downtime.
I’ll be providing an update as soon as Season 6 is here, so stay tuned for news.
Battle Passes carry over
Didn’t get a chance to finish all of Season 5’s Battle Pass?
Don’t worry, as you can access it at any time, even when the new Battle Pass is here. This is true for all past Marvel Rivals Battle Passes so there's no need for any FOMO.
60 minutes to go!
Marvel Rivals Season 6 should be here in just an hour.
Make sure you’ve downloaded the most recent update version of the game, and prepare for servers to go back online.
My update is still downloading right now, but I'm hopeful that it will be finished by the time the servers are back up. Fingers crossed!
Additional proficiency rewards have been added for the Lord tier
So you've reached Lord status... now what? The grind doesn't stop, Rivals! Our latest Hero Proficiency Upgrade is arriving with Season 6 of Marvel Rivals.More levels, more tiers, and more unbelievable rewards are heading your way — it's time to ignite the battlefield again!… pic.twitter.com/5HW8lXTVe6January 14, 2026
NetEase has added new rewards to the Lord tiers of Heroes in Marvel Rivals!
If you’ve previously maxed out a character, there will now be more to work for, so jump back in and see what else you can earn with your favorite Heroes.
30 minutes to go!
There’s now just 30 minutes of downtime left for Marvel Rivals Season 6.
I’ll be jumping into the Practice Range as soon as servers go back online, as I can’t wait to try out Deadpool and see how his role-switching abilities work in action.
The next Marvel Rivals Hero will be Elsa Bloodstone
NetEase has already revealed that Season 6.5 will launch on February 13, 2026, bringing in a brand new Hero. This is going to be Elsa Bloodstone, who features in the Season 6 announcement trailer, and is heavily involved in the new storyline.
Marvel Rivals Season 6 is now live
Marvel Rivals servers are back online, and Season 6 is here. You can purchase the new Battle Pass, try out Deadpool, and start working through the new event. I’ll be providing some impressions of the new Hero as I play. I'm particularly interested to see how he fits into certain team compositions, and whether he’s viable as a Vanguard, Duelist and Strategist in equal measure.
Whack-a-Jeff event is live
You can now complete the tasks shown above to unlock food for Deadpool. Feed him in the Whack a Jeff event tab and then unlock exclusive rewards.
Deadpool and Jeff team up!
Jeff the Land Shark and Deadpool can now Team Up. This adds a new ability for Jeff, and as anchor Deadpool gets some bonuses depending on what role he's playing.
Deadpool is extremely complex - first impressions
I've been busy trying Deadpool out in the Practice Range, and he's very complicated indeed. First off, you need to choose whether you want to play Deadpool as a Vanguard, Duelist, or Strategist. This opens up different abilities, and then changes the upgrade paths available as you play.
You can choose to upgrade certain abilities during a match, and knowing what to focus on is going to take some serious practice. We'll have to wait and see what the best of the three versions of Deadpool is, and whether it's better to upgrade specific abilities over others.
New Accessories for Season 6
Spark up the battlefield with new styles!A new batch of accessories is heading your way, giving you even more options to customize your favorite heroes and add a little bit of flair to every battle. Available: January 16th UTC! Play more, earn more, look radiant. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/8AzPTZon60January 13, 2026
There's new Accessories in-game, including a Deadpool Jeff Plush, a Black Panther Plush, and a tiny Tony Stark. These can be equipped to your Hero, giving you a bit of extra visual flair while you play.
Watch the latest developer vision to see what's changed
You can check out a fifteen minute breakdown of Season 6 as part of the Developer Vision series. These are great deep dives into balancing changes, Team Ups, and more. You'll get some insight on what's being planned for the future of Marvel Rivals, and a look back on how Season 5.5 ended.
New Spider-Man skin arrives
🕸️ Great power. Greater responsibility."Bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker gained amazing powers as a teenager. Since then, he fights all manner of evil, for with great power, there must also come great responsibility." First appears in Marvel Cosmic Invasion (2025).… pic.twitter.com/KkmRJnTGDxJanuary 14, 2026
To celebrate the release of Marvel Cosmic Invasion, there's a new Spider-Man skin available in Marvel Rivals. Suit up with Spider-Man's Marvel Cosmic Invasion costume, which can be found in the store.
That's all for now
Now that Marvel Rivals Season 6 is out and in the hands of players, I'm signing off. I'll be back on February 13 to cover the launch of Season 6.5, and hopefully we'll have gotten more info on Elsa Bloodstone by then.
