Marvel Rivals Season 2 – fittingly named Hellfire Gala – is almost here. We have got a treasure trove of updates all ready to disrupt the meta. Officially launching on April 11, 2025, this season introduces new heroes to get excited about, overhauled team-up mechanics, redesigned Ranked systems, new maps, new skins, and a number of balance changes.
The accelerated content delivery pace with subsequent seasons condensed into two months each instead of three, now ensures that changes will continue to roll in even faster. Let’s take a look at everything on our way in Marvel Rivals Season 2.
Image Credits: NetEase
Every update in Marvel Rivals Season 2
New Heroes On Board: Emma Frost and Ultron
Season 2 welcomes the highly anticipated arrival of Emma Frost, a legendary X-Men character. Being a multi-role Vanguard hero, Emma will transition between her normal form and her powerful Diamond Form. Her ultimate skill—having mind control capable of making enemy advances easy pickings—has the potential to change team battles.
Mid-season, Ultron will arrive as a support-type Strategist. Apart from his nefarious backstory, Ultron’s drone-centric healing and battlefield management are set to shake things up in the existing meta of long-range Duelists and tank-centric decks. Read more on Ultron’s arrival here.
New Map: The Mutant Island Krakoa
Marvel Rivals brings this season a brand-new map inspired by Krakoa. This is the legendary mutant sanctuary and the location of the Hellfire Gala. The new battleground provides distinctive environment that benefits the players who have both close-range brawling and ranged capabilities.
Its dynamically laid-out space is intended to facilitate the theme of mutant rebellion and intense battle. If you are interested to learn where this map ranks versus all the rest of the present ones in Marvel Rivals, read our all Marvel Rivals Maps article.
Ranked Mode Overhaul: Update to Competitive Play
Competitive players will see some major changes in the Ranked system with Season 2. The minimum level requirement is has gone up to level 15. This to necessitate much need skill and knowledge build up before they step into the big leagues. And the Pick/Ban phase now unlocks sooner even sooner, in Gold Tier.
Also, updated performance metrics mean that personal hero contributions play a greater role in score change per match. After the mid-season rank reset was withdrawn last time, a full rank reset will occur with the beginning of season 2, falling some divisions at the beginning of the season, providing a new competitive environment.
New Skins & Marvel Rivals Season 2 Battle Pass
The Season 2 battle pass comes with a Hellfire Gala aesthetic and promises to bring a new array of cosmetic content. Gamers are in for a treat with lavish designs featuring red-carpet looks and mutant-inspired attire. Learn more about the Season 2 battle pass and new skins here.
Additionally, Scarlet Witch’s Chaos Gown skin with a matching nameplate is included for free as part of a limited-time event. So, fans can enhance their collections without laying out additional currency.
Image Credits: NetEase
Hero Balance Changes: Buffs, Nerfs, and Trade-Offs
Season 2 introduces a slew of balance changes that impact Vanguards, Duelists, and Strategists. Some of the most notable changes are:
- Vanguards: Captain America and The Thing have defensive stats reduced, while Hulk becomes more mobile with a reduced cooldown on his shield. Thor receives an increase in health and movement, solidifying his position as a solo tank.
- Duelists: Characters such as Hawkeye get buffs to charging movement and ultimate damage, while Star-Lord’s ultimate now has damage falloff. Iron Man and Human Torch have temporary health boosts during signature abilities to enhance survivability in mid-air.
- Strategists: Adam Warlock’s revival now depends on the target’s maximum health, and Rocket Raccoon’s abilities have become a hybrid support role with bonus health awarding to allies.
The changes intend to make the meta more balanced and diversified, rewarding both aggressive play and smart team coordination. Check out the detailed full season 2 hero balance changes here.
New & Adjusted Team-Up Abilities in Marvel Rivals Season 2
One of the hallmark features of Marvel Rivals is its changing team-up system. During Season 2, a number of new synergies are introduced. Before we jump into the recent team up updates, you may want to have a look at all the present Marvel Rivals Team Ups Ranked by Tiers.
- Arcane Order: Binds Doctor Strange with Scarlet Witch, providing her with increased magical burst damage.
- Stars Aligned: Unites Captain America and Winter Soldier and enables powerful combination moves like a powered-up shield counterattack and a destructive leap ability.
- Mental Projection: With Emma Frost as the anchor, this co-op enhances either Magneto or Psylocke’s abilities by unleashing psionic projections to disorient and confuse foes.
Some of the existing pair-ups have been rewritten or retired to avoid overstacking. The iconic Metallic Chaos between Magneto and Scarlet Witch has been dropped, while Namor has moved out of his original pairing into the new Gamma Charge team-up with Hulk. Learn more about the new team-up powers here.
More Content and Future Roadmap
In addition to these headline updates, Marvel Rivals Season 2 features a new mission design with weekly and daily challenges, offering consistent progression and rewards all season long. NetEase has pledged to launch a new character each month from Season 3 onwards, so players can expect a constantly changing roster and new meta shifts throughout the year. Learn more about Marvel Rivals’ roadmap updates here.
Marvel Rivals Season 2 is set to redefine the game with new heroes like Emma Frost and Ultron, a striking new map on Krakoa, and sweeping adjustments across Ranked systems, skins, balance, and team-ups. Whether you’re a competitive veteran or a casual player, these changes promise to deliver deeper strategic play and more dynamic matches. As we continue to bring you every twist and update, keep an eye out to our Marvel Rivals section for more helpful content.