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Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals Season 9, The Mystery of Thebes, is still in full swing, but the whole community is already looking ahead. According to GamesHub and Insider Gaming, both citing NetEase's official Season 9 roadmap, a new hero is joining the roster with Season 9.5: The Hood, aka Parker Robbins. Here's everything confirmed so far, clearly separated from what's still just a leak.
What's confirmed for Season 9.5
Three things are locked in by NetEase's official Season 9 roadmap: the Season 9.5 release date, the next hero's name, and his role. Everything else, exact kit, Team-Ups, launch skin, hasn't been officially detailed by the studio yet.
When does Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 release?
- Release date: August 7, 2026, with no downtime announced at this stage
- Pacific Time (PT): 3:00 AM — August 7
- Eastern Time (ET): 6:00 AM — August 7
- British Summer Time (BST): 11:00 AM — August 7
- Central European Summer Time (CEST): 12:00 PM — August 7
- China Standard Time (CST): 6:00 PM — August 7
- Japan / Korea (JST/KST): 7:00 PM — August 7
- Australian Eastern Time (AET): 8:00 PM — August 7
- Season expected to run until September 11, 2026
The Hood: a Vanguard that breaks the pattern
- Confirmed role: Vanguard (tank), not a Duelist as many expected
- He's Season 9's second new hero after Jubilee (Duelist), who launched July 10
- Identity: Parker Robbins, a Marvel Comics character introduced in 2002, wielding a stolen mystical cloak and boots
- A tie-in comic, Origins of the Hood: Marvel Rivals #1, covers his rise through New York's criminal underworld
The Hood's kit: what the leaks say (unconfirmed)
NetEase hasn't published an official kit yet. The details below come from datamines reported by outlets covering the game and should be treated as provisional, they could still change before launch.
- Twin pistols for mid-range damage, tied to an overheat system — unconfirmed
- A cooldown mechanic linked to managing his personal shields
- A projectable clone that can be repositioned remotely and detonated
- Possible ultimate: a temporary demonic transformation that boosts his kit
- Overall profile: a mid-range poke Vanguard rather than a classic frontline barrier tank
The rest of the roadmap before 9.5
- July 31: Path to Doomsday — Avengers: Age of Ultron PvE mode goes live
- July 31: Marvel Rivals Ignite Series mid-season finals
- July 31: new Spider-Man & Hulk (Brand New Day), Scarlet Witch (Avengers: Age of Ultron) and Winter Soldier (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) skins
- July 24: Thebes map, already live in ranked
Marvel Rivals on console: crossplay and ranked
Marvel Rivals supports full crossplay between PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, including in ranked queue. A new mid-range poke Vanguard could shift things for controller players, where aim assist already favors mid-range heroes over pure close-quarters brawling. Worth watching closely once the full 9.5 patch notes drop.
Between the freshly launched Age of Ultron mode and The Hood arriving in a week, the back half of Season 9 is stacked. If you don't want to bleed rank during the transition, an ElevateBoost Marvel Rivals boost or a coaching session with someone who's already drilled the new meta is the safest way to lock in your gains before everyone else catches up.
