NetEase has revealed the full content schedule for Marvel Rivals Season 5.5, and it's packed with updates running from mid-December through mid-January. The mid-season patch brings Rogue as a new Vanguard hero, extensive cosmetic drops, returning seasonal events, and major balance changes across the roster.
Season 5.5 Goes Live December 12
Marvel Rivals Season 5.5 launches December 12, 2025. NetEase hasn't confirmed an exact launch time, but past updates have typically gone live around 11:00 AM UTC. Players should expect potential server maintenance during the rollout.
Rogue Brings Power Absorption to the Vanguard Role
Rogue headlines Season 5.5 as the newest playable character. She joins the Vanguard roster as an off-tank with high damage potential and crowd control capabilities.
Her kit centers on power absorption mechanics translated directly from her comic book abilities. Rogue can grab enemy heroes and temporarily steal their powers, using those abilities herself until the effect expires. Examples include Dr. Strange's Shield of the Seraphim and Loki's Regeneration Domain.
This creates situational gameplay where Rogue's effectiveness shifts based on enemy team composition. Different matchups unlock different tactical options depending on which abilities she can absorb.
Her Ultimate ability drains Ultimate charge from all enemy heroes caught in its area of effect. This makes Rogue a strong counter to coordinated enemy pushes, potentially disrupting entire team fight setups by delaying multiple enemy Ultimates simultaneously.
Rogue follows Gambit's successful Season 5 launch. The Strategist quickly became a popular pick and reshaped the meta after his introduction. Player expectations are high for Rogue's impact, as she's been one of the most requested characters since the game's release.
Team-Up System Gets Major Changes
NetEase is overhauling several Team-Up abilities in Season 5.5, affecting hero synergies across multiple roles.
Rogue joins the existing Explosive Entanglement Team-Up alongside Gambit and Magneto. This creates a thematic trio based on their comic relationships while providing strategic synergy between Vanguard and Strategist roles.
The Mental Projection Team-Up has been completely removed. Emma Frost now joins Chilling Assault, while Psylocke moves to Sword of Duality. These reassignments change cooperative play patterns and force players to reconsider established team compositions.
Cosmetics Drop Across Multiple Events
Season 5.5 delivers new skins spanning multiple themes and rarity tiers. The cosmetic content releases across several dates throughout the season.
December 12 Launch Skins
Rogue's Savage South Legendary skin drops on launch day, drawing inspiration from the classic Savage Land storyline. Rocket Raccoon also gets a new Rocket of the Rafters costume.
Seeds of the Gardener Event Pass
This event operates as a pass system with free and premium tracks. Players complete missions to unlock rewards:
- Mark I Iron Man (Free)
- Shenloong Champion Iron Fist (Premium)
- Capwolf Captain America (Premium)
Grandmaster's Champions Collection
Four heroes receive Grandmaster-themed skins throughout the season. Human Torch gets his Trumps of the Grandmaster costume on January 2. Moon Knight, Angela, and Emma Frost also receive Grandmaster skins, though specific release dates haven't been announced.
Holiday Special Costumes
Winter-themed cosmetics release in waves:
December 19:
- Squirrel Girl
- Daredevil
- Winter Soldier
- Peni Parker
- Star-Lord
December 26:
- Cloak & Dagger
- Thor (winter-themed)
January 2 Release
Human Torch receives his Trumps of the Grandmaster skin on January 2. A second mystery costume also releases this day, with speculation pointing toward a Lady Loki skin based on teaser images showing distinctive horned headwear.
Cosmic Power (January 9)
Phoenix receives an Ice Phoenix skin while Adam Warlock gets Cosmic Warlock. Both are Legendary-tier cosmetics.
Jeff's Winter Splash Festival Returns with New Map
Jeff's Winter Splash Festival makes a comeback on December 19 with expanded content. The event introduces Jeffland, a new map designed around a three-way battle format instead of standard team-versus-team matches.
Jeffland features three distinct Jeff builds, each with unique abilities. This creates varied gameplay as players encounter different Jeff variants across the battlefield.
The Pym Technologies Test Kitchen event also launches December 19, though specific mechanics haven't been detailed. A Winter Gift event runs concurrently with the festival.
On December 26, the Times Square map gets a New Year Ball Drop countdown feature for the holiday season.
Balance Changes Target Multiple Roles
NetEase is implementing balance adjustments across the roster. The changes affect heroes in all three roles.
Buffs
Twelve heroes receive improvements:
- Emma Frost
- The Thing
- Thor
- Blade
- Human Torch
- Phoenix
- Scarlet Witch
- The Punisher
- Wolverine
- Loki
- Luna Snow
- Ultron
Nerfs
Six heroes are getting toned down:
- Peni Parker
- Daredevil
- Psylocke
- Gambit
- Invisible Woman
- Rocket Raccoon
Full patch notes with specific numerical changes will be released separately.
Full Content Calendar
December 12, 2025
- Season 5.5 launch
- Rogue becomes playable
- Savage South Rogue skin
- Rocket of the Rafters skin
- Seeds of the Gardener event
- Balance changes go live
December 19, 2025
- Jeffland map
- Jeff's Winter Splash Festival
- Pym Technologies Test Kitchen event
- Winter Gift event
- Holiday Special event
- First holiday costume wave
December 26, 2025
- Cloak & Dagger winter skin
- Thor winter skin
- Times Square Ball Drop countdown
January 2, 2026
- Human Torch Grandmaster skin
- Mystery costume (rumored Lady Loki)
January 9, 2026
- Ice Phoenix skin
- Cosmic Warlock skin
January 16, 2026
- Season 5.5 ends
- Season 6 begins
What's Next
Season 6 kicks off January 16, though NetEase hasn't revealed details about the next full season yet. If Season 5's pattern holds, expect another hero launch, new map content, and continued meta shifts through additional balance updates.
The holiday content schedule runs aggressive through the new year. Multiple event tracks running simultaneously means consistent engagement is necessary to earn all available cosmetics, particularly limited-time holiday skins that may not return in future seasons.
