Marvel Rivals Season 3 Release Date: Early Patch Notes Explained

Marvel Rivals Season 3, titled The Abyss Awakens, officially launches on July 11, 2025, bringing with it an exciting wave of new heroes, map changes, balance updates, and a brand-new battle pass. NetEase has revealed the early patch notes for Marvel Rivals Season 3, detailing massive changes to the meta, buffs and nerfs to various heroes, new team-up abilities, cosmetics, and major gameplay improvements.

If you're searching for Marvel Rivals Season 3 patch notes, new characters in Marvel Rivals, or the Season 3 battle pass details, you're in the right place! Lets break down the early patch notes that we know are coming.

Marvel Rivals Season 3 – Key Patch Note Highlights

New Heroes

• Phoenix (Jean Grey) – A powerful Duelist hero entering the fray with unique fire-based psychic abilities.
  
  
• Blade – Arriving in the mid-season update (3.5) scheduled for August 8, 2025, bringing vampiric combat skills and high mobility.
  
  

Hero Buffs and Nerfs

✅ Buffed Heroes

• The Thing: Gains Battle Blitz leap attack with 25% damage reduction; Stone Haymaker now knocks down airborne enemies.
  
  
• Venom: Cellular Corrosion slow increased from 15% → 25%.
  
  
• Scarlet Witch: Improved utility for crowd control.
  
  
• Invisible Woman, Namor, Mantis: Minor tweaks to increase play viability.
  
  

❌ Nerfed Heroes

• Iron Man: Reduced ranged power.
  
  
• Emma Frost: Cooldown and control adjustments.
  
  
• Mister Fantastic, Loki, Ultron, Punisher: Power scaling reduced.
  
  
• Guardian Revival (Team-Up): Cooldown or effectiveness reduced.
  
  

These changes reflect NetEase’s goal to level the playing field and prevent over-centralized meta strategies.

New Team-Up Abilities

Marvel Rivals Season 3 introduces fresh team-up combos while removing or altering older ones.

New Team-Ups

• Primal Flame (Phoenix + Wolverine): Wolverine’s Feral Leap deals fire damage and grants lifesteal.
  
  
• Ever-Burning Bond (Human Torch + Spider-Man): Spider-Man gains a flaming tracer shot dealing AoE damage.
  
  

Reworked Team-Ups

• Stark Protocol: Now includes Squirrel Girl launching a homing bomb with Iron Man.
  
  
• Symbiote Shenanigans (Venom + Hela): Adds Hela’s Soul Drain pull and slow.
  
  

Removed Team-Ups

• ESU Alumnus (Spider-Man + Squirrel Girl)
  
  
• Storming Ignition (Storm + Human Torch)
  
  

New Map: Klyntar (Symbiote Homeworld)

Season 3 introduces a Klyntar-themed map with heavy lore ties to the symbiotes and Knull. Expect dark aesthetics, organic architecture, and mobility challenges. It is expected to shift the strategy in both casual and competitive play.

Competitive Mode Changes

• Ranked Play UI Overhaul
  
  
• New Leaderboards
  
  
• Improved matchmaking
  
  
• Updated Rank Rewards
  
  
• Rank Reset: Prepare for recalibration as ranks are refreshed for Season 3.
  
  

Cosmetics, Skins & Battle Pass

Premium Skins

• Phoenix “Chaos Phoenix” Bundle: Includes character emoji.
  
  
• Scarlet Witch, Rocket Raccoon, Jeff the Land Shark: New Sunshine and Chroma color variants.
  
  
• Premium skins teased for Spider-Man, Captain America, and more.
  
  

UI and Customization

• Ultimate VFX System: Cosmetic visual effects for player actions.
  
  
• MVP Animations: Now usable across costumes.
  
  
• Dynamic Lobby Backgrounds: Reflect your current skin and showcase hero.
  
  

Battle Pass: Power of the Phoenix

• Renamed Season 3 battle pass – Power of the Phoenix.
  
  
• Offers more Chrono Tokens to match the shorter two-month season cycle.
  
  
• Includes new skins, emotes, and victory poses.
  
  

Marvel Rivals Season 3 Timeline

• July 11, 2025 – Season 3 Launch: Phoenix, Klyntar map, cosmetics, competitive changes.
  
  
• August 8, 2025 – Mid-Season Update (3.5): Blade joins the roster.
  
  

Meta Outlook: Wolverine + Phoenix Too Strong?

The new Primal Flame combo is already causing waves. Many players feel Wolverine’s synergy with Phoenix is too powerful, with calls to ban Wolverine in early ranked games. Expect quick balance patches if dominance persists.

Summary Table: Marvel Rivals Season 3 Patch Overview

Conclusion:
Marvel Rivals Season 3 is shaping up to be one of the biggest updates yet. From new Duelist heroes to a dark symbiote map and sweeping balance changes, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re grinding the new battle pass or diving into competitive play, keep an eye on Phoenix-Wolverine synergies and evolving team-up metas.

Stay tuned for the full patch notes releasing shortly. If you’re looking to learn more about the best crosshairs to use for marvel rivals, please check out our guide on that!