Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 launches today, August 8, 2025, bringing the vampire hunter Blade to the hero roster. The update went live after a scheduled 2-3 hour downtime that began at 9:00 UTC, with servers now back online for players worldwide.
Blade enters as a Duelist class hero with a unique playstyle focused on close combat. His kit includes a double-barrel shotgun for ranged damage and his signature vampire-slaying sword for melee attacks. Players can use his Daywalker Dash ability to close distance with enemies, Scarlet Shroud to inflict area damage with an anti-healing effect, and Bloodline Awakening to toggle lifesteal during combat. His Ultimate ability, Thousand-Fold Slash, deals massive damage while applying healing reduction to opponents.
Season 3.5 introduces significant changes to team combinations. The update removes two existing Team-Up abilities (Guardian Revival and Atlas Bond) while adding two new ones: “Duality Dance” pairing Luna Snow with Adam Warlock, and “Vibrant Vitality” featuring Loki, Mantis, and Groot. Blade himself participates in the “New Moon” team-up with Moon Knight and joins Cloak & Dagger in “Lunar Force.”
Hero balance adjustments target several characters. Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Groot, and others receive buffs to strengthen their capabilities. Doctor Strange sees his Daggers of Denak projectile charges increased from 8 to 10, and his Cloak of Levitation cooldown reduced from 15 to 12 seconds. Meanwhile, Wolverine faces nerfs, including higher energy costs for his Ultimate ability.
The update brings the Queen’s Codex event with both free and premium reward tracks. Players can earn the Symbiote Thing skin for free, while premium pass holders can unlock the Queen in Black costume for Hela and a Phoenix-themed skin for Black Widow.
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A new game mode called Resource Rumble will arrive on August 22, two weeks after Season 3.5 launches. This control-based mode will feature the new Throne of Knull map and initially be available in Quick Match before potentially moving to Competitive play based on player feedback.
Marvel Rivals also implements stronger anti-toxicity measures. All in-game voice chat will now be automatically screened with human review for flagged behavior. Players who abandon competitive matches will receive longer bans and bigger point reductions, while their teammates will get compensation points.
Early player impressions suggest Blade is powerful, particularly against Vanguard-class heroes. His lifesteal capabilities and ability to counter healing make him a strong addition to the meta, with a current pick rate of approximately 18% in Platinum tier matches and a 52% win rate.
For competitive players, Ranked Mode brings new matchmaking rules. Bronze, Silver, and Gold players can queue in any team size except 5-player teams, while Platinum, Diamond, and Grandmaster players are limited to teams of up to 3 players. Gold-ranked players can earn the Emerald Blade costume for Blade as a seasonal reward.