Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 launched on August 8, 2025, at 09:00 UTC. Its headline addition was Blade, alongside reported Team-Up changes and new Competitive rules. The August 8 launch notes confirm the update and its system changes; the specific Blade ability description and Team-Up roster changes below come from an early preview and should not be read as a complete or current ability list.
When did Season 3.5 launch?
NetEase posted the official Season 3.5 patch notes on August 2, 2025. The update began August 8 at 09:00 UTC.
The launch added Blade, new lore featuring Blade, Iron Man and Rocket Raccoon, a limited-time Queen’s Codex event, and Blade bundles in the in-game store. The Codex offered The Thing – Symbiote Thing costume as a free progression reward, with additional rewards in its premium version. Twitch Drops were scheduled from August 8 at 12:00 UTC through September 5 at 09:00 UTC. These were launch-period offers, not current availability.
What did the early preview say about Blade?
The official launch notes confirm Blade’s roster debut but do not give a complete ability breakdown. An early preview published July 30, 2025, identified him as a Duelist and relayed this description from Marvel Rivals creative director Guangguang:
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This is a preview-era description, not a full technical specification. It highlights a shotgun for mid-to-close-range pressure, healing reduction, sword attacks and the Sword of Dracula ultimate.
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Which Team-Up changes were reported?
The official Season 3.5 Dev Vision announcement confirmed Team-Up ability adjustments without listing every change. The July 30 preview reported these planned roster changes:
- New Team-Ups: Duality Dance, pairing Adam Warlock and Luna Snow; and Vibrant Vitality, connecting Mantis with Groot or Loki.
- Removed Team-Ups: Guardian Revival and Atlas Bond.
- Membership changes: Loki was removed from Ragnarok Rebirth; Iron Fist joined Chilling Assault; Star-Lord joined Rocket Network; and Blade joined Lunar Force.
These details describe the preview’s reported plans, not a guaranteed current in-game roster. Team-Up memberships and effects can change in later patches.
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What Competitive rules changed?
The Season 3.5 launch notes set different party-size limits by rank. The rules excluded five-player parties in the three lowest listed ranks, then progressively reduced the maximum party size at higher ranks.
| Rank | Competitive team-size rule |
|---|---|
| Bronze, Silver, Gold | Any team size except five players |
| Platinum, Diamond, Grandmaster | Up to three players |
| Celestial, Eternity, One Above All | Up to two players |
The patch also tied disconnect handling to when a player left, whether they returned, how long the match continued, and the match result:
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- Early disconnects: A disconnect during loading, ban/pick, hero select, or within the first 70 seconds invalidated the match.
- Surrender vote: If a disconnected player had not returned within 90 seconds, the remaining players could initiate a first-round surrender vote. It passed with one fewer vote than the number of players still in the match.
- Later disconnects: After the first 70 seconds, match validity and penalties depended on reconnection and how long play continued after the disconnect. A player who did not reconnect could receive escalating T1 or T2 penalties and a Competitive ban if the match continued beyond the listed 90- or 150-second thresholds. Reconnecting avoided the Competitive ban specified for a non-reconnecting player, but a loss penalty could still apply according to time disconnected.
- Teammate compensation: Teammates could receive points if their team lost. The official notes listed 12 points for Bronze, Silver and Gold; 8 for Platinum, Diamond and Grandmaster; and 4 for Celestial, Eternity and One Above All.
AFK penalties were handled separately. When a player was both AFK and disconnected, the notes said the highest penalty applied; repeat offenses and circumstances affected the outcome, so there was no single universal penalty.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What else came with the August 8 update?
The launch notes listed two chat and usability additions: Custom Muted Words and a Faction tab in chat. On PC, the update removed the mandatory shader-compilation wait on first launch and instead began shader preload in the background after installation or an update. Entering a match before preload finished could cause stuttering, network lag, rendering errors or crashes. The performance test tool also began offering graphics recommendations based on its results.
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When were Resource Rumble and Throne of Kull scheduled?
The early preview said Resource Rumble and the Throne of Kull map were planned for the August 22, 2025 update, not the August 8 launch. It reported that Throne of Kull would first appear in Quick Match so developers could gather feedback before bringing it to Ranked. Further Resource Rumble details had not been shared in that preview.
What changed after Season 3.5?
Do not treat the August preview’s Blade values or Team-Up roster as current. In an official October 2, 2025 balance post for Version 20251010, Blade’s Daywalker Dash secondary attack range increased from 4.5m to 6.5m. The slash-speed window during Bloodline Awakening increased from 0.7 seconds to 1 second, and landing all four Whirlwind Slash hits added a slash-speed stack.
The same October post announced Bestial Hunt and Deep Wrath Team-Ups, adjusted Arcane Order, removed Namor’s Gamma Monstro from Gamma Charge, and removed Ragnarok Rebirth. Those are later changes, separate from the August launch and preview.
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