Marvel Rivals Season 6.5 drops Friday, February 13, 2026, bringing monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone to the roster. NetEase confirmed the mid-season update will go live at 9 AM UTC, following the usual release schedule.
Server downtime is expected to last two to three hours during the transition. Once servers come back online, Elsa Bloodstone will be immediately playable.
The Season 6 Battle Pass will continue running through the end of the season, so there's no new pass to purchase with this update. Players have additional time to complete any remaining tiers before Season 7 arrives.
Release Times by Region
The update drops simultaneously worldwide at 9 AM UTC on February 13. Here's when that translates to in other timezones:
| Timezone | Local Time |
|---|---|
| Pacific Time (PT) | 1:00 AM |
| Eastern Time (ET) | 4:00 AM |
| Central European Time (CET) | 10:00 AM |
| India Standard Time (IST) | 2:30 PM |
| Japan Standard Time (JST) | 6:00 PM |
| Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) | 8:00 PM |
New Hero: Elsa Bloodstone
Elsa Bloodstone takes center stage as the Season 6.5 headliner. She first appeared in the Season 6 trailer alongside Deadpool and has been featured prominently in the Marvel Rivals 2026 key art.
In the comics, Elsa is the daughter of immortal monster hunter Ulysses Bloodstone. She inherited her father's obsession with hunting supernatural creatures and wears the Bloodstone choker, a powerful artifact containing a fragment of the Bloodgem that grants her superhuman abilities. She's been a member of several supernatural-focused teams including the Midnight Sons and Nextwave.
What Role Will She Play?
NetEase hasn't confirmed Elsa's role yet. Current expectations point toward Duelist or Vanguard classification, with the official reveal likely coming in the Dev Vision presentation next Tuesday.
A Vanguard classification would make her a gun-wielding tank, giving teams another option for dealing with aerial threats and ranged damage dealers like Hela and Phoenix. Having two Vanguards capable of effective ranged combat would open up new team compositions for players struggling against hitscan-heavy lineups.
There's also outside speculation about a Strategist role. Her Bloodstone choker grants magical power in the comics, which could translate to healing and debuff abilities in-game. This outcome seems unlikely given her combat-focused portrayal in the trailers, but it hasn't been ruled out entirely.
Weapons and Abilities
Trailer footage shows Elsa wielding a shotgun against Deadpool, fitting her monster hunter aesthetic. She also carries a Breathing Gun, a rare Marvel Comics weapon with interesting lore implications for the game.
A new story entry under Deadpool's team-up with Jeff describes Elsa using the Breathing Gun to restrain and gag Deadpool after he annoyed her. The weapon was glowing red when she pulled it from his mouth. This strongly suggests her team-up ability will involve Deadpool and connect to the Breathing Gun somehow.
Only two Breathing Guns exist in Marvel Comics. They can kill demons and angels, hiss when sensing danger or occult forces, and their bullets may even be sentient. Blade received one from Hellstorm during the Challenge of the Ghost Riders storyline. If Elsa wields the other in Marvel Rivals, it could set up an interesting connection between the two monster hunters and hint at Blade's eventual addition to the roster.
Summoner Potential
Elsa may also function as a summoner. The Season 6 trailer shows a creature standing behind her after she shoots Deadpool, and her comic history involves partnering with supernatural creatures on a regular basis.
Namor already summons squids in the current roster. Elsa could offer a stronger or more versatile version of this mechanic, potentially calling on famous allies from her comic appearances like Man-Thing, Werewolf By Night, or Frankenstein's monster.
Her connections to these supernatural creatures run deep in the source material. She's worked alongside nearly every monster hunter and supernatural hero in Marvel at some point, making the potential summon pool extensive.
New Costumes
Shop Releases (February 5-6)
Two new skins hit the shop this week with full in-game previews now available.
Magneto - "Seat of Autumn"
This costume draws from Magneto's role on the Quiet Council, the 12-person governing body that runs the mutant nation of Krakoa in recent X-Men comics. The Quiet Council represents the ruling class of mutant society, and Magneto served as one of its most influential members during the Krakoan era. The skin features a more refined, dignified look befitting his position as a mutant leader rather than a battlefield combatant.
Groot - "Mecha Flora"
Groot gets reimagined as a machine in this skin. The design may take inspiration from his armor in the Mech Strike: Monster Hunters comic run, where various Marvel heroes donned mechanical suits to battle kaiju-sized threats. The skin transforms his organic appearance into something more industrial while maintaining his recognizable silhouette.
Both costumes go live February 6, 2026. Eastern timezone players get early access on February 5 at 9 PM.
Leaked Season 6.5 Skins
Leaks point to several additional skins arriving with the update. None of these have been officially confirmed by NetEase:
- Jeff the Land Shark - Duck Comic skin
- Moon Knight - Growth and Decay skin
- Phoenix - Suit skin
- Hawkeye - Luminous Legend skin
- Doctor Strange - Marvel Rivals Original skin
- Scarlet Witch - Marvel Rivals Original skin
The Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch skins are listed as "Marvel Rivals Original," meaning they're unique designs created specifically for the game rather than adaptations of existing comic or MCU appearances.
Returning Content
The gamma team-up between Doctor Strange and Hulk appears to be returning in Season 6.5, based on details from the 6.0 update announcement. Team-ups are character-specific synergy abilities that activate when certain heroes play together, and the Doctor Strange/Hulk pairing was a popular combination before being rotated out.
Events
Season 6.5 launches on February 13, just one day before Valentine's Day. A themed event seems very likely given the timing, though NetEase hasn't confirmed anything official yet.
Previous mid-season updates have included limited-time events with free cosmetics as rewards. Players can typically earn skins, sprays, and other items by completing event-specific challenges or participating in special game modes.
A new map is also anticipated around late March based on the typical content pacing NetEase has maintained since launch.
PVE Content
NetEase promised more PVE content following the success of Marvel Zombies mode, which proved extremely popular with the playerbase. The Season 6.0 Dev Vision confirmed a new PVE mode will arrive in the first half of 2026.
This puts the release window somewhere between Season 6.5 and Season 7. Executive producer Guangguang specifically stated the team would be delivering "a lot more" PVE content after seeing the positive reception to Marvel Zombies, so players can expect the studio to continue investing in this side of the game.
Upcoming Announcements
The following reveals are expected before the February 13 launch, assuming no last-minute schedule changes:
Tuesday (February 11): Dev Vision presentation and Elsa Bloodstone gameplay trailer. This will likely confirm her role classification, showcase her abilities in action, and provide details on how her kit functions.
Wednesday (February 12): Season 6.5 roadmap reveal and early access livestream for content creators. The roadmap should outline all major content additions planned for the mid-season update, while content creators will get hands-on time with Elsa before the public launch.
Four Magic Heroes Teased
Marvel Rivals executive producer Danny Koo dropped a surprise poll on Twitter featuring four magic-themed Marvel characters. Koo co-created Luna Snow for Marvel Future Fight, and his polls have proven reliable before.
A pre-launch Discord poll asked players which heroes they wanted to see added, featuring Deadpool, Wolverine, Gambit, and Emma Frost as options. All four have since joined the roster, lending significant weight to this new poll as a roadmap for future additions.
Poll Results
1st Place: Wiccan
The overwhelming winner of the poll. Wiccan is one of the most powerful magic users in Marvel Comics and the reincarnated son of Scarlet Witch and Vision. His reality-warping abilities rival those of his mother, making him one of the strongest young heroes in the universe.
He made his MCU debut in the Disney+ series Agatha All Along, portrayed by Joe Locke. His popularity from that show likely contributed to his dominant performance in the poll.
2nd Place: Clea
Daughter of Dormammu's sister Umar, making her the niece of one of Doctor Strange's greatest enemies. Despite her family ties to the Dark Dimension, Clea became a powerful heroic magic user in her own right.
She married Doctor Strange in the comics and studied under him for years. When Strange tragically died, Clea took up his mantle and became the new Sorcerer Supreme, defending Earth's dimension from mystical threats. Charlize Theron played her in the post-credits scene of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, setting up future appearances in the MCU.
3rd Place: Sister Grimm (Nico Minoru)
Better known simply as Nico, she's a fan-favorite goth character with a devoted following. Nico is famous for being a founding member of The Runaways, a team of teenagers who discovered their parents were supervillains and went on the run. The Runaways were adapted as a Hulu series that ran for three seasons.
She also appeared as a main character in Marvel's Midnight Suns, widely considered one of the best Marvel games ever made. Her Staff of One is a powerful magical weapon that emerges from her body and can cast any spell, but only once per spell. This unique limitation could translate into interesting gameplay mechanics.
Nico attended Strange Academy in the comics, which could set up a fun interaction with Deadpool referencing his theft of the school bus in the game's current lore.
4th Place: Morgan Le Fay
A supervillain and one of the absolute strongest magic users in all of Marvel Comics. Morgan Le Fay is a half-faerie sorceress who has been alive since the days of King Arthur and Camelot. Her magical knowledge spans centuries, making her a threat to even the most powerful heroes.
She had a romantic relationship with Doctor Doom in the comics after he sought her out to teach him dark magic. Doom eventually betrayed her, as he tends to do, but that connection could factor into her arrival given his prominent role in Marvel Rivals' ongoing storyline.
Lore Connections
All four magic users may connect to Doctor Doom's ongoing story in the game. Current lore is building toward a major confrontation between Mephisto and Doom.
Mephisto, the devil of the Marvel universe, is holding Doom's mother Cynthia prisoner in his hellish realm. This has been a driving motivation for Doom across decades of comics, as he's repeatedly attempted to free her soul from Mephisto's grasp. The game appears to be adapting this storyline.
These developments also seem to be setting up Ghost Rider's arrival. Johnny Blaze's powers come directly from a deal with Mephisto, making him a natural addition when the demonic villain takes center stage.
A supernatural-themed season featuring Mephisto as the main threat is expected later in 2026. The four magic heroes from the poll would fit perfectly into this storyline.
Season 7 Preview
Season 7 is expected around March 15, 2026, with Season 7.5 following around April 15. Gallery card teases have hinted at Black Cat and White Fox as the next heroes joining the roster.
Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) is Spider-Man's on-again, off-again love interest and a skilled cat burglar with bad luck powers. White Fox (Ami Han) is a Korean superhero who can transform into a mystical nine-tailed fox. Both would add unique playstyles to the roster.
What's Next
Marvel Rivals Season 6.5 brings Elsa Bloodstone as a new playable hero, new skins including Magneto's Quiet Council-inspired "Seat of Autumn" and Groot's "Mecha Flora," and likely a Valentine's Day event given the timing.
The Dev Vision presentation and gameplay trailer drop Tuesday, February 11. The full Season 6.5 roadmap follows Wednesday, February 12. Then the update goes live Friday, February 13 at 9 AM UTC.
Looking further ahead, four magic heroes (Wiccan, Clea, Sister Grimm, and Morgan Le Fay) appear to be in development based on the developer poll. Black Cat and White Fox should arrive with Season 7 and 7.5 around March and April. And a supernatural season featuring Mephisto seems to be building on the horizon for later in 2026.
