Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 launches August 8 with new hero Blade and the Klyntar map
Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 launches August 8 with Blade as a playable Duelist, the Queen's Codex event, the Klyntar: Throne of Knull map, and a new competitive matchmaking system. The first new hero since Season 3.
Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 launches August 8, 2026. The mid-season update adds Blade as the new Duelist hero, the Klyntar: Throne of Knull map, the Queen's Codex reward event, and a new competitive matchmaking system.
Maintenance starts at 05:00 ET and runs 2-3 hours.
The new hero: Blade
Blade is a Duelist who switches between an Ancestral Sword and a Shotgun, with high mobility and the ultimate Thousand Fold Slash (which damages enemies and reduces their healing).
Blade has been teased in Marvel Rivals for 4 months. He's the first new hero since Season 3 (which added Captain America and the Winter Soldier).
Blade's kit
Per the official patch notes:
- Primary fire (Sword mode) — melee
combo, high single-target damage
- Primary fire (Shotgun mode) —
mid-range burst, 5 pellets per shot
- Mode switch — free toggle between
Sword and Shotgun, 1.5s cooldown
- Tactical: Daywalker Dash — short
dash + slash, refreshes on hero hit
- Ultimate: Thousand Fold Slash —
dash + 7-hit combo, each hit reduces enemy healing by 30% for 3 seconds
- Passive: Vampire Slayer — Blade
heals 50 HP per hero elimination, up to a 200 HP overhealth cap
Blade's team-up ability
Blade pairs with the existing Blade + Moon Knight team-up: Blade gains +15% lifesteal during Bloodline Awakening, and Moon Knight gains +10% ability damage when below 50% HP.
The new map: Klyntar: Throne of Knull
Klyntar: Throne of Knull is the Season 3.5 map, a symbiote-themed payload map set in Knull's throne room. The map has:
- 3 capture points (one per
checkpoint)
- 2 dynamic terrain features (the
throne changes elevation at 50% progress)
- Symbiote hazards (the throne
emits a symbiote mist that reduces healing by 25% in a 20m radius)
- Vertical gameplay (3 elevation
tiers, the highest at 35m)
The map is only available in Competitive and Quick Match initially. Custom games and unranked will get it on August 15.
The Queen's Codex event
Queen's Codex is the Season 3.5 reward event. Earn XP to level up, claim rewards including:
- The Thing – Symbiote Thing costume
(FREE)
- Hela – Queen in Black costume
(Premium Codex)
- 20+ other variants and emotes
- A new dynamic spray
Premium access is permanent once unlocked — no time limit. The event starts August 8 at 09:00 UTC.
The Season 3.5 hero balance changes
Per the official Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 patch notes, the meta-shaping changes are:
- Blade (new) — added to roster
- Black Panther (BUFF) — Reduce
Cloak of Levitation cooldown from 15s to 12s
- Groot (BUFF) — Increase Vine
Strike range from 20m to 22m, increase Flora Colossus effect range radius from 20m to 24m
- Iron Fist (BUFF) — Increase Yat
Jee Chung Kuen damage from 2.1% to 2.7% of enemy max HP per strike; increase K'un-Lun Kick's first strike damage from 30 to 35
- Spider-Man (BUFF) — Increase
Spectacular Spin damage from 150/s to 170/s
- Adam Warlock (FIX) — Fixed
Ultimate Ability Bonus Health on revived teammates vanishing if Adam was KO'd
- Loki (NERF) — Reduce Mystical
Missile damage from 30 to 25 (healing unchanged)
- Human Torch (NERF) — Reduce Flame
Field damage from 25/s to 20/s, reduce Pyro-Prison damage from 50/s to 40/s
- Thor (NERF) — Increase Last Stand
ultimate cost from 2800 to 3400
- Wolverine (NERF) — Lifesteal
during Primal Flame team-up no longer contributes to ult energy
- Cloak & Dagger (NERF) — Increase
Eternal Bond cost from 4000 to 4300
The new competitive matchmaking
Season 3.5 introduces a new matchmaking rating (MMR) system with:
- 6 ranks (Bronze → Diamond → Master
→ Celestial → Eternity → Top 500)
- Visible MMR (your MMR is shown
after every match)
- Reset at Season 4 (full MMR
reset, not soft reset)
- Anti-smurf measures (new accounts
start in Bronze with a 10-game placement)
Twitch Drops (Aug 8 - Sept 5)
Watch Marvel Rivals on Twitch to earn:
- Mantis Will of Galacta costume
- Bundle items (spray, emote,
player card)
- 5+ other rewards
Why it matters
Blade is the first major Duelist addition since Season 1, and the competitive community is split on whether his heal-on-elimination passive will be nerfed. The lifesteal + ult anti-heal combo is potentially the strongest in the game.
The new MMR system is the most significant competitive change in Marvel Rivals' history. The visible MMR is a direct response to community complaints about opaque matchmaking.
What's next
The next major update is Season 4 "Heart of the Dragon" on September 12, 2026. The new heroes are Angela and Daredevil, the new map is K'un-Lun, and the new mode is Infinity Crisis CTF.
FAQ
When does Marvel Rivals Season 3.5
launch?
August 8, 2026, 05:00 ET maintenance, 2-3 hours.
Who is the new hero in Marvel
Rivals Season 3.5?
Blade, a Duelist who switches between an Ancestral Sword and a Shotgun. His ultimate is Thousand Fold Slash.
What is the Queen's Codex event?
A Season 3.5 reward event. Earn XP, claim The Thing – Symbiote Thing for free, or buy Premium Codex for Hela – Queen in Black and other rewards. Premium is permanent.
What is the new map in Season 3.5?
Klyntar: Throne of Knull, a symbiote-themed payload map set in Knull's throne room. Available in Competitive and Quick Match on Aug 8, all modes Aug 15.
What are the Blade nerfs?
As of launch, no Blade nerfs. The community expects nerfs to the lifesteal passive in the August 21 hotfix.
When is the next Marvel Rivals
season?
Season 4 "Heart of the Dragon" on September 12, 2026. New heroes: Angela + Daredevil. New map: K'un-Lun. New mode: Infinity Crisis CTF.
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