Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 will add The Hood to the roster on Friday, August 7, 2026. The new hero joins the Vanguard lineup as a tank, bringing a gun-focused kit with several demonic twists.
The reveal came during Dev Vision Vol. 20. The Hood’s dual guns sit at the center of his attacks, giving him a steady stream of fire against opposing heroes. His arrival follows Season 9, which introduced a full Team-Up system overhaul.
What The Hood brings to Season 9.5
The Hood’s abilities let him support teammates while still putting pressure on enemies. Oblivion Cloak can create protective bubbles for allies, while its dark magic orbs transform into barriers that help control the fight. One of those barriers creates a rectangular field that blinds opponents who cross it, while another forms a protective bubble around The Hood that can withstand Namor’s Ultimate.
Parker Robbins can also enter a half-demonic state when his Demonic Energy reaches its limit, turning his arms into rapid-fire demonic rifles. His Ultimate takes that transformation further by turning him into a turret-like demon and unleashing a piercing blast that passes through enemies and can pierce defensive shields. The attack heals nearby teammates, and The Hood can activate the Ultimate in midair with his movement skill, allowing him to operate as a floating turret.
That combination gives The Hood tools for both damage and team protection, which should make his Vanguard role feel different from a straightforward shield carrier.
More changes are coming with the update
Season 9.5 will bring a new wave of Summer Skins on August 13, 2026. The lineup includes Star-Lord, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Storm, Black Cat, and Magik.
The update will also repackage the game’s assets to reduce its final installation size. Although the Season 9.5 update itself will be larger than usual, the completed game will take up around 40GB less space on PC and around 15GB less space on PS5 and Xbox. The developer says the storage changes will not reduce the game’s visual quality.
This follows a Season 8 option that allowed PC players to remove high-resolution textures and save roughly 43GB. Season 9.5 will bring another round of storage changes while keeping the game’s visuals intact.
The full Dev Vision Vol. 20 presentation is available below.
A separate gameplay reveal offers a closer look at The Hood’s abilities.
The Hood will arrive alongside Season 9.5 on August 7. Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
Marvel Rivals
Developed by NetEase Games
Marvel Rivals is a super hero team-based PvP shooter developed by NetEase Games! Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe!
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Perspective: Third person
- Modes: Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2024-12-06
- Publisher: NetEase Games, Marvel Games
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Age Rating:
- IGDB Rating: 76.0/100
