Marvel Rivals players will soon face a new threat as Ultron joins the game’s hero roster on May 30, 2025. The mid-season update brings significant changes to the popular team-based shooter, including a new map, team abilities, and a special game mode.
Ultron Takes Flight as New Support Character
Ultron marks a first for Marvel Rivals as the game’s only flying support character. Despite his villainous history, Ultron will help teammates with healing abilities while still dealing damage to enemies.
“Ultron is a strategist who can provide consistent healing to his allies,” said Creative Director Guangguang Chen.
Ultron attacks using energy beams and can fly alongside other aerial characters like Iron Man, Storm, and Human Torch. His abilities include:
- Continuous energy beam attacks
- Drone deployment that heals nearby allies
- Special flight capabilities for better positioning
- An ultimate ability called “Rage of Ultron” that summons attack drones to damage enemies and heal teammates using their Encephalo-Rays
New Team-Up Abilities Shake Up Gameplay
Season 2.5 introduces six new team-up abilities while removing four older ones. These combinations allow specific character pairs to perform special moves together.
The most talked-about new team-up is “Jeff-nado,” which combines Storm and Jeff the Land Shark’s powers into a water tornado that damages enemies. Other new pairings include Venom with Jeff, Punisher with Black Widow, Luna Snow with Hawkeye, Rocket Raccoon with Peni Parker, and Iron Man with Ultron.
To make room for these changes, the game will remove team-ups between Luna Snow and Jeff, Black Widow and Hawkeye, Venom and Peni Parker/Spider-Man, and Rocket Raccoon and Punisher. Iron Man will also no longer partner with Hulk and Namor in the “Gamma Charge” team-up.
Balance Changes Target Popular Heroes
The update aims to level the playing field with buffs and nerfs to multiple characters:
Characters getting stronger: Doctor Strange, Magneto, Punisher, Squirrel Girl, and Storm.
Characters getting weaker: Captain America, Groot, Emma Frost, Human Torch, Iron Fist, Mister Fantastic, Namor, Psylocke, and The Thing.
Luna Snow and Jeff the Land Shark will receive more complex adjustments rather than simple buffs or nerfs.
These changes address community feedback about certain heroes being too powerful or too weak. The developers specifically mentioned addressing a “Support Strike” where healing characters felt underpowered compared to damage dealers.
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New Mechanical Wasteland Map: Arakko
Players will battle on a new map called Arakko, described as a “cold, merciless, mechanical world.” Once the sister island to Krakoa, Arakko has been transformed by Ultron into a lifeless metal stronghold after he stole Cerebro from the mutants.
Experimental Auto-Battle Mode Coming June 6
A week after the main update, Marvel Rivals will introduce “Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol,” a limited-time solo mode where players:
- Choose a lineup of six heroes
- Customize their abilities and traits
- Place them strategically on a grid
- Watch automated battles against other players’ teams
This experimental mode lets players try hero combinations not typically seen in regular matches.
Quality-of-Life Improvements
The update also adds smaller features to improve player experience:
- Hero proficiency avatars on character select screens
- New “Moods and Emojis” for personalizing nameplates
- Enhanced communication options during matches
Final “.5” Update Before New Schedule
Season 2.5 marks the final mid-season update using the current format. Starting with Season 3, Marvel Rivals will shift to shorter two-month seasons with a new hero released every month. While no specific end date for Season 2.5 has been confirmed, it’s expected to run through mid-July.
The Season 2.5 update launches May 30, 2025, one day after the current Battle Pass ends. Players can expect these changes to significantly alter how teams are built and which heroes see the most play.