Marvel Rivals Season 5 goes live November 14 and brings a surprising new hero class, a proper social space, and a chaotic 36-player mode coming later in the month.
The marquee addition is Gambit and the twist is he is a Strategist and not a Duelist. Gambit is built around support and kinetic trickery rather than pure duel damage. He can use Chronovium-enhanced cards to heal allies, cleanse negative effects, knock enemies back and apply anti-heal. Gambit also channels energy into his staff for nimble melee fights and his Ultimate launches kinetic-charged aces that boost allies’ jumps and explosions. Expect a playstyle that rewards positioning and timing as much as aggressive card spam.
What else arrives
- Times Square non-combat map launches November 14 as a dedicated social hub that can host up to 100 players. Players will be able to hang out, dance, watch videos, read books and generally screw around outside of combat. The space was created after earlier social meetups in Sanctum Sanctorum proved popular.
- Conquest, billed as Annihilation is an 18v18 mode on the new Grand Garden map. That mode is scheduled to go live November 27 and will pit 36 players against each other in a larger objective-based clash.
- New team-ups, quality of life features and a new placement system for Competitive mode arriving with Season 5.
- First-year anniversary events and freebies land after the November 27 update. Players can earn 2,500 Units and a free Legendary Jeff costume plus a slate of anniversary costumes including community-inspired looks and Cake Party themed outfits.
Why Gambit as a Strategist matters
Giving Gambit a Strategist kit shifts how teams will draft around him. He is less about one versus one outplays and more about altering team fights with mobility boosts, anti-heal and area effects. Expect players to test hybrid loadouts that pair his support tools with heavy damage dealers.
Roadmap and PvE
Development on the PvE Marvel Zombies mode continues and the team intends to add more PvE content in 2026. Players interested in the recent PvE rollout can read the Marvel Zombies update details in the linked post.
If this sounds familiar, the last season had its own round of leaks and teasers. For context on how season reveals have played out recently see our Season 4 leaks coverage.
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