NetEase drops Marvel Rivals Season 7.5 on April 17, 2026, and it is one of the busier mid-season updates the game has seen. A brand new Duelist hero, two separate PvE modes launching on different dates, and a free skin for every player. Here is what is confirmed.
Black Cat is the 49th hero, and she plays exactly how you'd expect
Black Cat slides into Marvel Rivals as hero number 49, slotting into the Duelist role with a kit built around mobility and flanking. Her primary attacks chain claw slashes and martial arts combos, and she can wall-climb and double-jump to reposition constantly. The key here is her Grappling Hook, which does something no other hero does: it lets her steal Fortune directly from enemy players.
Stack enough Fortune and she buffs her own claw attacks. Trade that Fortune with the Gilded Saint, though, and she can pull powerful artifacts, including the Ring of Zona, the Helm of Hades, and the Mento-Fish, all of which can create advantages for teammates as well. Her Phantom Pursuit ability lets her close distance fast, land quick damage, and pull back before enemies can respond. Her Ultimate throws calling cards at every enemy in her line of sight, then dashes to each of them for heavy burst damage.
Black Cat also brings a new team-up ability into the mix. Lucky Loan pairs her with Captain America and White Fox, with Black Cat as the anchor sharing her luck with both. White Fox gains a spectral fox tail attack that seeks out targets in all directions. Captain America's shield picks up a wider protection radius and sharper deflection accuracy. It is a strong-sounding trio on paper, and one that will likely see a lot of experimentation in the first week.
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Black Cat's Fortune-stealing mechanic is tied specifically to her Grappling Hook. Building Fortune stacks before popping her artifact trade is the intended flow of her kit.
Blood Hunt and Path to Doomsday bring PvE back in a big way
Two new PvE modes are coming with Season 7.5, but they are not arriving simultaneously. Blood Hunt launches on April 23, 2026, six days after the main patch. Players are back to fighting vampire forces threatening New York, this time with four new Boss battles, a fresh character progression and trait system, and a looting system that is new to Marvel Rivals. That last addition is worth watching closely since loot-driven PvE is a different direction for the game.
Path to Doomsday follows on April 30, 2026, timed to build momentum ahead of the Avengers: Doomsday film release. The mode features asymmetrical combat with Loki at the center, letting players take either side as the 2012 Avengers team tries to stop him. NetEase also flagged that the Times Square map will host a "series of events" tied to this mode, though specifics have not been detailed yet.
The Hellfire Gala returns with one genuinely free skin
The Hellfire Gala 2026 event brings new outfits for Magik, Moon Knight, Emma Frost, Gambit, and Phoenix. The standout here is the Emma Frost – Gala Star skin, which is confirmed free for every player. No event grind requirements have been detailed yet, but the precedent from the 2025 Hellfire Gala suggests it will be accessible without a paywall.
NetEase is also running another community vote for the next Hellfire Gala costume, continuing the format from last year's vote. Players who want a say in what gets made next will want to keep an eye on when that vote opens.
For a full breakdown of every hero and how they fit into the current meta, browse more guides to stay ahead of the Season 7.5 shake-up. The patch lands in two days, and Black Cat's kit alone is going to shift how a lot of flanking compositions get built. Path to Doomsday arriving at the end of April keeps the content calendar moving well into the back half of Season 7, so check the latest reviews for more coverage as the modes go live.
