Marvel Rivals Season 9 has been the game's biggest shakeup to date, and it's not done yet. The Team-Up overhaul, health regen changes, and the Black Widow rework kept players busy relearning the meta for weeks. Now that the dust has settled, attention is shifting to Season 9.5 and the next hero joining the roster: The Hood. Here's everything confirmed about the mid-season update, including exact launch times worldwide.
When does Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 start?
Season 9.5 officially begins on August 7, 2026. That date was confirmed in the Season 9 roadmap NetEase published at the start of the season. If you want to check the full Season 9 roadmap for every update, skin, and event dated through the season, that breakdown has you covered.
The mid-season update follows the same structure NetEase has used since launch: each season splits into two halves, each running roughly four weeks. That means Season 9.5 will carry things through until Season 10 arrives.
Season 9.5 roadmap overview
Exact global start times for Season 9.5
Based on NetEase's consistent release pattern across previous seasons, Season 9.5 is expected to go live at 3:00 AM PT on August 7, 2026. Here's how that translates across every major region:
What role does The Hood fill in Season 9.5?
The Hood joins Marvel Rivals as a Vanguard, making Season 9.5 the first mid-season update in a while to skip adding a Duelist entirely. That's a meaningful shift given how Duelist-heavy recent additions have been.
The specifics of his kit haven't been fully revealed yet, but his twin pistols suggest he'll offer long-range poke that most tanks in the current roster can't match. That would give him a genuinely distinct niche in the Vanguard pool rather than just being another frontline bruiser.
The Hood joins as Vanguard
What Team-Ups should you watch for with The Hood?
Even before his kit is fully known, two Team-Up connections are already drawing attention. Jubilee's Team-Up with The Hood is the one to watch most closely. That pairing is already considered strong without the Enhanced Effect active, which means once both heroes are on the same team and the Enhanced version triggers, the combo could be genuinely oppressive.
Magik's Team-Up with The Hood is also worth keeping an eye on, though it reads as the more measured of the two options based on what's been seen so far.
How does Season 9.5 fit into the bigger picture?
Season 9 already overhauled Team-Ups more extensively than any previous update, and the meta is still finding its footing. Season 9.5 drops The Hood into that environment, which means the current tier list will shift again once players figure out how his range and Team-Up potential interact with the new systems.
For a deeper look at what's been confirmed for the full season, the Season 9 release date and new heroes guide covers the Age of Apocalypse launch details and everything that was announced at the start of the season.
Looking further ahead, leaks suggest the roster additions are already mapped out through Season 11, and the Death of Apocalypse in-game event has added weight to at least one of those rumored characters. The pace of content isn't slowing down.
Full roster with The Hood added
Is Season 9.5 worth jumping back in for?
If you stepped away after the Season 9 overhaul felt overwhelming, this is a reasonable re-entry point. The meta has had time to stabilize, and a single new Vanguard is a much smaller adjustment than the full Team-Up rework was. The Hood's long-range tank playstyle, if it plays out the way his pistols imply, could open up compositions that weren't viable before.
For everything else dropping in Marvel Rivals this season and beyond, the full Marvel Rivals guides collection has season breakdowns, tier lists, and hero-specific content to keep you up to speed.