"Marvel Rivals" is gearing up for its next content release, with Season 9.5 set to bring a new playable hero into the mix.
NetEase has already confirmed both the release date and the character joining the roster, giving players a clear look at what comes next after Season 9's major overhaul.
'Marvel Rivals' Season 9.5: Here's When It Will Drop
Based on the latest roadmap shared by NetEase Games, Season 9.5 officially begins on August 7, sharing all the information for the full season. Like previous "Marvel Rivals" seasons, this one is split into two four-week halves, each bringing new characters, maps, updates, and cosmetics along the way.
Based on the pattern set by earlier seasons, Season 9.5 is expected to go live at around early morning on August 7, by 3 a.m. PT. That translates to 6 a.m. ET, 11 a.m. BST, and 6 p.m. JST, giving players around the world a general window for when to expect the update to arrive in their region.
Season 9 itself has already been described as the biggest update "Marvel Rivals" has seen so far, thanks to a full overhaul of the game's Team-Up system, along with changes to health regeneration and a significant rework of Black Widow.
'Marvel Rivals' Season 9.5's New Hero Is Coming
"The Hood" is confirmed as the new hero arriving with Season 9.5, joining the roster as a Vanguard rather than a Duelist. As per Insider Gaming, The Hood was previously teased to team up with X-Men's Jubilee, but the character is yet to be unveiled.
That marks the first time this season that a new character isn't being added to the Duelist role, even though Black Widow's extensive rework has made her feel like an entirely new hero in practice.
Exact details on how The Hood will play remain unknown for now, though there's speculation he could bring long-range poke damage to the tank lineup using twin pistols, an option the current Vanguard roster doesn't really offer.
Beyond that, his full kit and abilities have yet to be revealed, leaving players to speculate on the numbers and effects tied to his moveset.
What to Expect From 'The Hood' Update
Beyond the new hero himself, Season 9.5 is expected to bring fresh Team-Up interactions into play as well. Jubilee's Team-Up ability with The Hood is already anticipated to be particularly strong, especially since her existing kit is considered powerful even before factoring in Enhanced Effects, and Magik's Team-Up potential with him isn't expected to be far behind.
Looking further ahead, "Marvel Rivals" already has several upcoming characters leaked well past Season 9.5, with reports suggesting nearly every addition planned through Season 11 has already surfaced online in some form.
The ongoing "Death of Apocalypse" event within the game has also fueled speculation that at least one major villain addition is on the way, something that could help address complaints from players about the current lack of new villains in the hero shooter's roster.
For now, all eyes remain on The Hood as the next confirmed addition once Season 9.5 goes live on August 7.
