- Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 will introduce The Hood as a new Vanguard hero.
- The new update will also reduce game size on PC by 40 GB and console by 15 GB.
- Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 releases on August 7, 2026.
NetEase has finally lifted the curtain on the new hero joining the Marvel Rivals roster in Season 9.5, and it’s confirmed to be The Hood. The latest Dev Vision Vol. 20 episode was released on August 4 and revealed The Hood’s role as a Vanguard hero, which will be added to the roster when Season 9.5 goes live on August 7, 2026.
The Marvel Rivals dev vision episode this time around was just over 5 minutes long, and Guangguang mainly talked about The Hood’s role in Season 9.5, including his ability kit and lore in the Chronoverse.
According to Guangguang, “[The Hood is] A dynamic gunner who walks the razor’s edge between mortal mobster and demonic powerhouse, flexibly switching between human and demon forms.”
Expanding on The Hood’s primary and secondary attacks in Marvel Rivals Season 9.5, Guangguang further expanded, “Parker lays down relentless frontal cover fire with his twin pistols. Utilizing his mystical cloak, he channels the chaotic energy of Oblivion to manifest protective shields for his allies, while hurling dark magic orbs that warp into barriers, sapping the strength of incoming enemy fire.”
However, it wasn’t just Marvel Rivals’ The Hood who was a highlight of the Dev Vision Vol. 20 episode; a second Krakoan Reels event is also arriving soon as the Summer Festival Vol. 2 reaches its last leg.
But the real kicker for fans was a major announcement where Guangguang announced that a massive texture compression overhaul is coming to Marvel Rivals with Season 9.5, which will decrease the game’s file size by 40 GB on PC and 15 GB on console.
Shortly after the Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 Dev Vision episode was posted, a gameplay video featuring The Hood was posted as well. The video showcased The Hood with his hitscan dual pistols, piercing through enemy shields, summoning a barrier, and also using his demon form ult to insta-kill his enemies, even including some of the best Marvel Rivals characters.
The Hood joins Marvel Rivals as the 53rd hero in the vast roster in the upcoming Season 9.5 update, which drops on Friday, August 7, 2026.
