NetEase released a major update for Marvel Rivals on November 6, 2025, at 9 AM UTC (4 AM EST). The patch extends the game's first PvE mode and delivers balance changes to four heroes in the Zombies mode. The patch notes also appear to tease Rogue and Gambit as Season 5's new heroes. No server downtime is required.
Zombies Mode Runs Until December 5th
Marvel Zombies was originally scheduled to end on November 14th alongside Season 4. NetEase pushed that date back to December 5, 2025, at 9 AM UTC after community feedback. That's nearly an extra month for players to chase the legendary "Queenslayer" title.
The PvE mode brought back a large chunk of the player base that had been missing since Season 4 dropped. Its success convinced NetEase to keep it around longer. Players now have more time to test different heroes and experiment with build strategies against the undead.
Two New Features Coming Next Week
NetEase announced optimizations arriving in the week following the November 6 update.
A new Solo Challenge Leaderboard will rank players based on individual hero performance during solo runs. This adds a competitive layer to the PvE experience.
Hero-Based Clear Rewards will give players Units and Epic-quality titles for completing challenges with specific heroes. The system encourages trying out different characters in Zombies mode.
Balance Changes Target Four Heroes
NetEase adjusted Khonshu's Blessings effects for Thor, Jeff the Land Shark, The Punisher, and Magik. The changes aim to match the developer's intended challenge pacing and run duration.
Thor Gets Survivability and Damage Buffs
Thor's Thunder Formation build received a new defensive option. Thunder Formation Level 3 now grants 15% Damage Reduction.
Ion Shield healing increased across all tiers. Blue rarity jumped from 50 to 75 HP per second. Purple went from 100 to 150. Gold doubled from 200 to 300.
Thunder Torrent's Purple tier got two separate buffs. Continuous charged Collision Damage when consuming extra energy increased from 8% to 12% in one instance and from 18% to 27% in another.
The Rune Awakening build saw major damage increases through Allfather's Might. Blue rarity Mjolnir Bash damage went from 5% to 8%. Purple jumped from 18% to 28%. Gold nearly doubled from 35% to 65%. These bonuses apply in both normal and Awakening Rune states.
Magik Damage Output Jumps Significantly
Magik's Phantom Edge build got modest improvements to Devouring Sigil. Purple rarity Soul Mark damage increased from 6% to 8%. Gold went from 12% to 16%.
The Darkchild build received massive buffs through Devil's Mandate. Blue rarity doubled Soulsword and Eldritch Whirl damage in Darkchild form from 20% to 40%. Purple doubled from 35% to 70%. Gold doubled from 80% to 160%.
Punisher's Damage and Precision Improved
The Barrager build got two upgrades. Punisher's Upgrade Purple rarity increased Adjudication Single Bullet Damage from 35% to 40%. Gold jumped from 80% to 90%.
Precision Judgement also received boosts. Blue rarity Adjudication Headshot Damage multiplier went from 15% to 18%. Purple increased from 28% to 33%.
The Sweeper build changes increased Deliverance Headshot Damage multiplier bonus in Prepare - Traits. The patch also boosted The Sweeper Level 1 Explosion Damage when defeating enemies. NetEase didn't specify exact numerical values for these Sweeper adjustments.
Jeff the Land Shark Gains Power and Defense
The Overflowing Waters build increased water zones' Spell Field DoT at Level 3. Specific numbers weren't provided.
Jetstream Cannon got significant damage increases. Purple rarity Joyful Splash damage went from 60% to 90%. Gold jumped from 140% to 200%.
Gnashing Waters Gold rarity sustained damage ratio bonus increased from 200% to 280%.
Big Fish Frenzy Level 3 now provides 15% Damage Reduction as a new effect.
Forward Frenzy damage scaled up considerably. Purple rarity Hide and Seek Collision Damage increased from 60% to 90%. Gold went from 140% to 200%.
Bubbling Impact got two changes. Purple rarity Splash Damage increased from 15 to 18. Gold went from 30 to 36. The ability now benefits from its own damage boost, creating a multiplicative effect.
Shark Sovereignty increased the detection range for enemies during Hide and Seek. The exact range wasn't specified.
Three Hero Bugs Fixed
Daredevil had a bug where his passive mark effect stuck to Winter Soldier incorrectly. This happened when Daredevil switched heroes in the Spawn Room right after seeing Winter Soldier and Captain America used Stellar Impact. Other heroes could exploit this unintended "radar lock" on Winter Soldier. NetEase cleaned it up.
Another Daredevil bug made replays unwatchable. When spectating him through replay mode with outline display turned off, the screen filled with solid purple. The visual bug is now fixed.
Wolverine's Feral Leap sometimes failed to complete properly, leaving him suspended mid-air. The ability now executes fully every time.
Wolverine Bundle Hits Store November 7th
The Dog Brother X Bundle for Wolverine becomes available for purchase on November 7, 2025, at 2 AM UTC. The Epic rarity bundle costs 1600 Units (reduced from 2200) and includes five items: the Dog Brother X costume, Advent of the Huodou MVP animation, Flame Roar emote, Dog Brother X nameplate, and Dog Brother X spray.
Season 5 Heroes Possibly Teased
The patch notes background image appears to show silhouettes of Gambit and Rogue. These X-Men characters have been rumored for months as potential Season 5 additions. NetEase hasn't officially confirmed them yet. A Season 5 trailer was expected the same day as the patch notes, which would provide confirmation.
Context for the Update
This November 6 update marks the final patch for Season 4.5. Players have additional time to finish Battle Pass progression and climb Competitive Rank for free rewards before Season 5 starts.
The previous two seasons focused on K'un L'un content and introduced Angela and Daredevil. Marvel Zombies reversed the player decline that started with Season 4, prompting NetEase to extend the mode's availability.
