Marvel Rivals Patch Notes | Season 9: The Mystery of Thebes
Marvel Rivals Version 20260903 adds X-Men '97 skins for Gambit & Rogue and a Jubilee emote. Season 9: Mystery of Thebes — full changelog.
When is the next update?
Marvel Rivals rolls to its next season on September 11, 2026.
Version 20260903 — September 3, 20261 change
The Marvel Rivals Version 20260903 patch notes are a light content-and-fixes update rather than a balance patch, adding new X-Men ‘97 Season 2 skin bundles and a Jubilee emote while Season 9: The Mystery of Thebes continues uninterrupted. Track the live Marvel Rivals season countdown through the rest of the season.
TL;DR — 6 changes: 0 buffs, 0 nerfs — no hero balance changes shipped this patch. Headline additions: X-Men ‘97 Season 2 skin bundles for Gambit and Rogue, an Ultron “B-Boy Prime” bundle, and a Jubilee “Take a Seat” emote. Meta impact: none — this is a cosmetics-and-fixes patch, so the roster balance set by Season 9.5 is unchanged.
Bug Fixes
- Psylocke (default costume) — scarf no longer freezes in place while swinging on the Hellfire Bay Beach map active
Season 9.5 — August 7, 20267 changes
The Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 patch notes land the season’s biggest mid-cycle update, adding The Hood as a new Vanguard and reworking Peni Parker’s signature crowd control across an 18-hero balance pass. Track the live Marvel Rivals season countdown through the rest of The Mystery of Thebes.
TL;DR — 18 changes: 10 buffs, 6 nerfs, plus The Hood joining as a new playable Vanguard. Biggest buff: White Fox’s Ultimate energy cost drops and now supports the whole team on cast. Biggest nerf: Peni Parker’s Cyber-Web Snare loses its immediate immobilize for a stacking Web-Tracer and a 30% Slow. Meta impact: Peni Parker’s crowd-control lockdown weakens while The Hood adds a new barrier-and-burst Vanguard option to the tank pool.
Weapons
- The Hood — new Vanguard added: Accursed Pistols, Mantle of Oblivion barrier orbs, and a Demon of the End ultimate that turns him into a piercing-shot turret granting bonus health on landed hits active
- Peni Parker — Cyber-Web Snare no longer applies an immediate immobilize; it now stacks a Web-Tracer and a 30% Slow for one second instead nerf
- White Fox — Ultimate energy cost lowered and now supports the whole team on cast buff
- Devil Dinosaur, Doctor Strange, Rogue, Cyclops, Moon Knight, Phoenix, Wolverine, Jubilee, and Loki — buffed across Vanguard, Duelist, and Strategist roles buff
- Venom, Black Panther, Elsa Bloodstone, Hela, and Gambit — nerfed alongside Peni Parker in the same balance pass nerf
Mechanics
- Team-Up pairings reworked for Devil Dinosaur, Doctor Strange, Magneto, Black Panther, Cyclops, Scarlet Witch, Elsa Bloodstone, Moon Knight, Phoenix, and Gambit — Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch’s shared synergy benefits most active
Events & Limited Time
- Creed of Akabba — event pass running August 7 through October 9 with a free Punisher “Sandstorm Soldier” skin and a premium Jeff-Pool skin event
Season 9 Launch — July 10, 20269 changes
The Marvel Rivals Season 9 Launch patch notes open Season 9: The Mystery of Thebes with Jubilee joining the roster as a new Strategist, a full Black Widow rework, and the biggest balance pass since launch — touching roughly 80% of the roster. Track the live Marvel Rivals season countdown to the end of The Mystery of Thebes.
TL;DR — 5 changes: buffs to Deadpool, Devil Dinosaur, and Doctor Strange; a Rocket Raccoon nerf; plus a full Team-Up system overhaul. Biggest buff: Doctor Strange — health raised to 650 with 850 shield value. Biggest nerf: Rocket Raccoon — C.Y.A. Ultimate cost up to 4,300 energy with new distance falloff. Meta impact: tankier front-liners and a costlier Rocket Raccoon ultimate should slow Strategist-anchored comps.
Weapons
- Black Widow — full rework: standard ADS sniper mode removed from her base kit, primary fire rate increased, charged electro-plasma blast moved to a standard ability; her new Ultimate grants a temporary ADS sniper mode with armor-piercing, high-damage shots active
- Deadpool — primary fire and core ability buffed, base health up 50 buff
- Devil Dinosaur — base health up 100, critical hit damage reduction increased buff
- Doctor Strange — health raised to 650 total, shield value up to 850 buff
- Rocket Raccoon — C.Y.A. Ultimate energy cost 4,000 → 4,300, plus new distance falloff losing up to 60% of its effect at 20m nerf
New Mechanics
- Ultimate energy generation reworked: Vanguard/Duelist damage-to-energy conversion 70% → 55%; Strategist healing-to-energy 75% → 60% and damage-to-energy 75% → 55% active
- Regenerative Shield — a new health type converting part of a hero’s base HP into a shield buffer that regenerates over time, applied to select heroes including Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and Rogue active
- Team-Up system overhaul — every hero now has two independent Team-Up loadouts (a base effect plus an enhanced effect for the right partner), selectable pre-match and swappable in the spawn room; flat stat bonuses tied to Team-Up Anchor roles are removed active
Events & Limited Time
- Death of Apocalypse — murder-mystery mini-game investigating Apocalypse’s assassination; complete missions for Units and Gallery Cards event
All Marvel Rivals patches
| Version | Date | Season | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Version 20260903 | September 3, 2026 | Season 9: The Mystery of Thebes | 6 changes: 0 buffs, 0 nerfs — no hero balance changes shipped this patch. Headline additions: X-Men '97 Season 2 skin bundles for Gambit an… |
| Season 9.5 | August 7, 2026 | Season 9: The Mystery of Thebes | 18 changes: 10 buffs, 6 nerfs, plus The Hood joining as a new playable Vanguard. Biggest buff: White Fox's Ultimate energy cost drops and n… |
| Season 9 Launch | July 10, 2026 | Season 9: The Mystery of Thebes | 5 changes: buffs to Deadpool, Devil Dinosaur, and Doctor Strange; a Rocket Raccoon nerf; plus a full Team-Up system overhaul. Biggest buff:… |
| Season 8 Launch | May 15, 2026 | Season 8: Sins of Alchemax | 16 heroes touched in patch 20260515: 10 buffed, 4 nerfed, 2 reworked. Biggest buff: White Queen — reposition cooldown 3s → 1s and Diamond… |