The highly anticipated mid-season update for Marvel Rivals, Season 3.5, is almost here, and with it comes a legendary new addition to the roster: Blade, the Daywalker himself. Developers have dropped a new gameplay trailer showcasing the iconic half-vampire, half-human hero, alongside revealing a host of new content and system changes set to arrive on August 8th.
Blade: The Daywalker Joins the Fight
Known as Eric Brooks, Blade is a creature of two worlds, blending unparalleled martial arts mastery with formidable supernatural abilities. His lore in Marvel Rivals sees him challenging Dracula after the vampire lord seized New York, only to be imprisoned. Following Dracula's defeat, Blade sought recovery in Wakanda, but his respite was short-lived; he must now rise to defend reality itself from the threats of Hela and Null.
Blade joins the "Duelist" class, specializing in aggressive, damage-focused combat. Equipped with his trusty shotgun and a version of Dracula's Sword, Blade’s toolkit is built for swift, impactful engagements. He can perform simple sword swings or spin his blade to reduce incoming damage. His ultimate ability, heavily tied to his sword, sees him lunging forward to unleash a torrent of strikes in an area behind his target. Players can also tap into his vampiric side, sharpening his senses for a tactical advantage, though healing is restricted in this state. To restore his "Dracula's Blood," players will need to keep dealing damage.
Marvel Rivals Season 3.5: What's New?
Beyond Blade, Season 3.5 brings a substantial update featuring new modes, map additions, and critical system overhauls:
- New Mode & Map: Starting August 22nd, players can dive into the new "Resource Rumble" game mode and explore the fresh "Throne of Knull" map. Specific details on these additions are yet to be fully revealed, with NetEase promising a dedicated gameplay demonstration soon.
- Team Buff Rebalance: The update will re-evaluate existing team buffs. Two entirely new team-up combos will be introduced, including one for Luna Snow and Adam Warlock, and another for Mantis, Groot, and Loki. Simultaneously, two existing buffs will be removed, and four others will see their compositions adjusted to refine team synergy.
- Enhanced Toxicity Control: To foster a more positive environment, Marvel Rivals is stepping up its efforts against disruptive behavior. As of July 24th, the game began automatically analyzing voice chat (with human verification for accuracy) to better track and penalize toxic players. Furthermore, a custom text chat filter will be implemented in this mid-season update.
- Stricter Leaver Penalties: Players who abandon competitive matches mid-game will face more severe consequences, including longer suspensions from ranked play. To mitigate the impact on remaining teammates, those left short-handed will receive a degree of compensation points in the event of a loss.
- PC Shader System Overhaul: PC players will benefit from a completely rebuilt shader system. This means that after the Season 3.5 update, the lengthy compilation wait times before playing will be a thing of the past. The compilation process will now occur seamlessly in the background.
What This Means for Players
Season 3.5 marks a significant step for Marvel Rivals, not just with the exciting addition of Blade and new gameplay content but also through crucial quality-of-life and community health improvements. The enhanced anti-toxicity measures and stricter leaver penalties aim to create a fairer and more enjoyable competitive experience, while the PC shader optimization will streamline the launch process for many. Get ready to jump into the action when Season 3.5 launches on August 8th across PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, complete with Russian text localization.
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