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Marvel Rivals Season 1.5: Start Date, Patch Notes and Balance Changes

Season 1.5 brought The Thing, Human Torch and Central Park to Marvel Rivals alongside a four-division competitive reset and hero-specific balance changes.
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Marvel Rivals Season 1.5 began on February 21, 2025. The mid-season update added The Thing and Human Torch, a new Central Park map, and a wide set of hero-specific balance changes. It also split Season 1 competitive play into two halves, added PC support for NVIDIA DLSS 4, and made several match-flow changes. These are the changes announced for the February 2025 patch—not a description of the game’s live balance in October 2026.

When did Marvel Rivals Season 1.5 start?

NetEase scheduled Season 1.5, the second half of Season 1, to begin on February 21, 2025. The official patch notes say Season 1.0 concluded that day at 8:00 UTC+0. The developer’s February 10 announcement had also identified February 21 as the start date for the second half. Marvel Rivals developer discussion, February 10, 2025; official patch notes, February 20, 2025.

What did the Season 1.5 update add?

Two heroes and a new map

The Thing and Human Torch joined the playable roster. The update also introduced Empire of Eternal Night: Central Park, a Convergence map. The official patch notes list both heroes and the map as Season 1.5 additions.

Events and match-flow changes

Season 1.5 brought the Midnight Features II event and the first round of Twitch Drops. The patch notes also announced a half-second overtime grace period in all modes, changes to substitute matchmaking in Quick Mode near the end of a match, and improved loading at match start. These are distinct quality-of-life and event additions, rather than hero balance changes.

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PC graphics support

The PC update added NVIDIA DLSS 4, including Multi Frame Generation for GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs. The patch notes describe the feature as generating up to three additional frames for each traditionally rendered frame. That is the publisher’s description of the feature, not a performance guarantee from an independent test. Official patch notes.

How did ranked play change in Season 1.5?

Season 1 was divided into S1.0 and S1.5 for competitive play. At the second-half launch, players’ end-of-S1.0 standing was subject to a four-division rank drop. To qualify for second-half competitive rewards, players had to complete at least 10 competitive matches in S1.5 and satisfy the other reward conditions. NetEase’s developer discussion explains the seasonal adjustment; the patch notes list Gold-rank costumes for Invisible Woman and Human Torch, as well as new Crest of Honor designs for high ranks. Developer discussion, February 10, 2025; official patch notes.

Which heroes received balance changes?

NetEase’s February 19 balance post describes the Season 1.5 changes as hero refinements. The figures below are the values announced for that February 2025 patch. A damage increase, health change, or cooldown reduction describes an ability-level adjustment; it does not by itself establish how a hero performed in actual matches.

Captain America

Living Legend could shield Captain America mid-leap. Vibranium Energy Saw projectile speed rose from 60 m/s to 80 m/s, while its ricochet speed increased from 100 m/s to 150 m/s. Freedom Charge’s energy cost fell from 3,100 to 2,800. The changes affect protection during movement, projectile speed, and ultimate availability. NetEase’s Season 1.5 balance post, February 19, 2025.

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Doctor Strange

The balance post characterized Doctor Strange’s adjustment as a modest reduction to survivability. It does not provide specific ability values in the summary information available here, so no numerical change is quoted. NetEase’s balance post.

Hawkeye

Base health increased from 250 to 275. Blast Arrow’s projectile damage fell from 20 to 15, but its spell-field damage rose from 25 to 32. Crescent Slash’s cooldown shortened from 15 to 12 seconds, and Hunter’s Sight received increases to draw speed and damage multiplier. This is a mix of survivability and ability-specific adjustments, not a uniform damage increase. NetEase’s balance post.

Hela

Nightsword Thorn’s damage falloff at 30 meters changed from 70% to 80%. The post specifies the falloff at that distance; it should not be read as a general damage increase at every range. NetEase’s balance post.

Iron Fist

Iron Fist received several changes that pull in different directions. The post reduced multiple strike damage values, changed Yat Jee Chung Kuen to add a blow dealing 1.7% of an opponent’s maximum health per strike, and raised base health from 250 to 300. Harmony Recovery’s bonus health increased from 50 to 150 and received a decay rule. Taken together, this is a multi-part adjustment rather than a simple buff or nerf. NetEase’s balance post.

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Iron Man

Unibeam damage increased from 120 per second to 140 per second. Armor Overdrive Unibeam damage rose from 180 per second to 190 per second. NetEase’s balance post.

Magik

Demon’s Rage damage in its regular state decreased from 80 per second to 72 per second. Darkchild’s energy cost fell from 3,700 to 3,400. One change reduces regular-state damage while the other lowers the ultimate’s cost. NetEase’s balance post.

Mister Fantastic

Flexible Elongation’s landing-field radius doubled from 2.5 m to 5 m and gained knockback, while its recharge time increased from 8 to 10 seconds. Brainiac Bounce’s spell damage rose from 50 to 70, but its energy cost increased from 2,800 to 3,400; the ability also received damage decay at range. The broader landing effect therefore came with a longer recharge, while the damage and cost changes to Brainiac Bounce moved in opposite directions. NetEase’s balance post.

Moon Knight

Hand of Khonshu’s talons fell more slowly, its damage-trigger logic changed, and damage per hit increased from 75 to 150. The effect depends on both the revised trigger behavior and the higher per-hit value. NetEase’s balance post.

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Scarlet Witch

Reality Erasure began granting 100 bonus health. That bonus decays at 50 health per second after the ability ends or is interrupted. NetEase’s balance post.

Spider-Man

Web-Cluster’s energize time decreased from 3 seconds to 2.5 seconds. NetEase’s balance post.

Star-Lord

Rocket Propulsion’s maximum energy increased from 1,200 to 1,800. NetEase’s balance post.

Storm

Wind Blade’s damage falloff at 30 meters changed from 70% to 60%, and the post recalibrated Storm’s bonuses. The distance-specific falloff figure does not establish how her damage changed at all ranges. NetEase’s balance post.

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Do these patch values describe Marvel Rivals today?

No. The figures above record changes announced for the February 21, 2025 update. Later patches may have changed them, and the cited 2025 material does not establish the game’s live balance as of October 2026. For the complete historical change list, consult the Season 1.5 balance post and the official patch notes.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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