NetEase has rolled out a new balance patch for Marvel Rivals, nerfing four heroes and launching two new events with free costume rewards. The update went live on February 19, 2026, at 9 AM UTC across all platforms, with console players seeing it listed as version 1.35/1.000.073. No server downtime was required.
The patch lands just one week after the bigger Season 6.5 update. NetEase said the S6.5 changes were deliberately kept small to maintain a stable experience throughout the season, but community feedback pushed the team to act on a handful of overperforming heroes before Season 7.
"We're tracking your feedback as always and testing the proposed changes internally," NetEase wrote. "Patch 0219 will target a subset of high-performing heroes that have drawn stronger feedback."
Every balance change in this patch is a nerf. Three Duelists and one Strategist are affected.
Elsa Bloodstone (Duelist)
Elsa's ultimate took the biggest hit in this patch. Glartrox, the creature she summons, is now less durable, active for a shorter period, and has a smaller grab area.
Glartrox's health drops from 500 to 400, and its dash duration is nearly halved from 6 seconds to 3.5 seconds. The enemy grab hitbox also shrinks from 6m x 6m x 3.5m to 5m x 5m x 3.5m, keeping the same height but cutting the length and width by a full meter each.
NetEase described the changes as raising the bar for Elsa to release Glartrox while making "the monster a little less unbreakable."
Hawkeye (Duelist)
Hawkeye's Piercing Arrow takes damage cuts at every level. Base damage drops from 34 to 28, and a fully charged arrow now deals 70 instead of 85.
The Archer's Focus buff is also weaker. A boosted charged arrow previously hit for 175 and now caps at 160. According to NetEase, the goal is to make Hawkeye "stay laser-focused to deal meaningful damage."
Hela (Duelist)
Hela's ranged threat is getting pulled back. The damage falloff on Nightsword Thorn still kicks in at 18 meters, but the maximum falloff at 30 meters now drops damage to 70% of base (previously 80%).
Beyond 25 meters, two critical hits will no longer kill a 250 HP target. Close and mid range fights remain unchanged, but Hela players will feel the difference at distance.
Gambit (Strategist)
Gambit loses a bit of health and a chunk of his damage boost potential. Base HP drops from 275 to 250, and Breaking Spades now grants a 10% damage boost instead of 15%.
NetEase called these "slight" hits to survivability and damage. Gambit's adjustments are the most modest of the four, nudging his numbers down without reworking how he plays.
Faulty Dream & Twisted Nightmare Events
Two events go live alongside the patch, both running from February 19 through March 20, 2026 (9 AM UTC start and end). Players have roughly a month to complete them.
The Faulty Dream event unlocks the Doctor Strange Phantom Sorcerer Costume plus additional rewards. Twisted Nightmare offers the Scarlet Witch Twisted Conjurer Costume and its own set of rewards.
New Store Bundles
A batch of new cosmetics hits the store on February 20 at 2 AM UTC:
- Iron Man Iron Mariner Bundle
- Emma Frost Black Queen of the Marauders Bundle
- Emma Frost Black Queen of the Marauders Emoji Bundle
- Scarlet Witch Twisted Conjurer Costume Color Chromas & Ability VFX (Ultimate Ability)
- Take a Seat Emote Combo Bundle with new animations for Groot and Elsa Bloodstone
A second wave follows on February 27 at 2 AM UTC:
- Moon Knight Eclipse Knight Bundle
- Phoenix Seat of Spring Bundle
- Moon Knight Eclipse Knight Emoji Bundle
What's Next for Marvel Rivals
Another major content drop before Season 7 is unlikely. NetEase has made it clear that the S6.5 cycle is winding down, with remaining updates focused on smaller adjustments rather than new features.
The developer did confirm that more changes are being tested internally. "There's more content coming your way, and we'll roll it out in Season 7," NetEase said. "Please stay tuned!"
Elsa and Hawkeye took the largest hits in this patch, and both could see noticeable shifts in pick rates and effectiveness over the coming weeks. How the community responds to these changes will likely shape the direction of Season 7's balance tuning.
