NetEase Games has revealed a first look at Marvel Rivals Season 5.5 in Dev Vision Volume 12, also revealing the hero changes coming with Version 20251212.
Marvel Rivals Season 5.5 is seeing the release of Rogue, who players already suspected after she was all-but-confirmed at the start of Season 5 when Gambit joined. She’ll be a Vanguard who uses melee abilities. When she takes down an enemy, Rogue can absorb their abilities, as well as a buff that’s based on the downed enemy’s role. This includes Signature Abilities.
When Rogue uses her Ultimate, she drains the Ultimate Energy from the enemies near her.
The Hero Balance changes that are on the way were also revealed. To start with, Vanguards are being adjusted with the addition of Rogue and the changes coming with her:
- Emma Frost: increased base health (550 to 600)
- Peni Parker: decreased base health (750 to 700)
- The Thing: increased Stone Haymaker bonus damage that’s equal to enemies’ max Health per hit (8% to 10%), increased the time the anti-mobility field left after Yancy Street Charge is up (3 seconds to 5 seconds)
- Thor: can now freely move and dash in Storm Surge (compared to only being able to move in a fixed direction)
A few Strategists are also being adjusted:
- Gambit: increased Ultimate Ability’s energy cost (4,300 to 4,500)
- Invisible Woman: increased Ultimate Ability’s energy cost (4,300 to 4,500)
- Loki: increased the damage and healing ratio of Loki’s Doppelgangers (80% to 90%)
- Luna Snow: reduced the start-up time and increased the projectile speed of Absolute Zero (60 m/s to 80 m/s), added the ability for her to apply Number One Idol to herself to get a healing boost and damage boost based on how much she heals allies
- Rocket Raccoon: increased Ultimate Ability’s energy cost (4,000 to 4,300)
- Ultron: can now support two allies at once with Imperative: Patch, Imperative: Firewall needs an ally with a drone on it to use before giving both Ultron and ally bonus health (plus 20% movement speed and 10% damage boost for ally), increased Ultimate Ability’s energy cost (3,700 to 4,000)
Last but not least are the Duelists:
- Blade: increased single hit damage of Ancestral Sword (24 to 26) and Whirlwind Dash (15 to 16)
- Human Torch: reduced projectile speed of Fire Cluster (while also increasing the single projectile damage from 5 to 5.5 and the maximum falloff from 60% at 30 m to 60% at 20 m), reduced single charge speed of Blazing Blast from 3 seconds to 2.5 seconds (while also increasing the hit damage from 40 to 45)
- Phoenix: increased summon health during Ultimate Ability (400 to 500)
- Scarlet Witch: increased Chthonian Burst charges from Chaos Control hits (0.08 to 0.1), increased the Dark Seal projectile speed from 40m/s to 60m/s (while also removing the delay of Spell Field generation), increased Ultimate Ability enemy pull speed (2.4m/s to 3m/s)
- The Punisher: increased Adjudication damage per hit (19 to 20)
- Wolverine: Ultimate Ability can now target walls for landing
Season 5.5 of Marvel Rivals is getting a few team-up adjustments, as well. Mental Projection (Emma Frost and Psylocke) is being removed, sending Emma Frost over to Chilling Assault and Psylocke to Sword of Duality. Additionally, Rogue will be added to Explosive Entanglement.
Bestial Hunt is also being adjusted, specifically taking 25 bonus health from Daredevil in the team-up.
There are several events coming during Marvel Rivals Season 5.5, including the return of Jeff’s Winter Splash Festival. Jeff’s Winter Splash Festival is a bit different from last year, introducing different Jeff builds and a new map, and it’ll start on December 18, 2025.
There will also be a new Mystery Burger available at Pym’s Test Kitchen in Times Square, which will also be available starting on December 18.
Of course, there are a slew of winter and holiday-themed outfits coming to the shop. Some of the characters featured include Squirrel Girl, Daredevil, Cloak and Dagger, Peni Parker, and more.
Players can watch the entire Marvel Rivals Dev Vision Volume 12 below:
Marvel Rivals Season 5.5 will start on December 12, 2025, and it’ll be playable on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.