Particle.news

Marvel Rivals Adds The Hood and Shrinks Install Size in Season 9.5

NetEase says the midseason update will cut players' storage needs while rolling out a new Vanguard, summer skins and a returning Krakoan Reels event.

Overview

  • Season 9.5 is scheduled to go live on Aug. 7 with The Hood and the first content wave, and a second wave of Swimsuit Special skins will hit the in-game shop on Aug. 13.
  • The Hood is a Vanguard who switches between human and demon forms, uses a cloak to grant ally shields, transforms his pistols into assault rifles in demon form, and has an Ultimate that fires piercing rounds and grants nearby teammates bonus health; the role is voiced by Damian Priest per publisher materials.
  • Krakoan Reels Volume 2 returns as a fishing mini-event with a new Event Pass that awards aquatic-themed cosmetics, including skins for Spider-Man, Cloak and Dagger, and Mr. Fantastic.
  • Developers are applying a texture compression overhaul that they say will shrink installed game size by roughly 40 GB on PC and about 15 GB on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S while requiring a larger initial download to apply the change.
  • NetEase plans to publish full balance and patch notes closer to launch, and the staggered release of character, event and shop content continues the game's live-service model that drives player engagement and monetization.