NetEase has shared the details about the upcoming Season 8.5, including the patch notes for its start, Version 20260612, a look at the new hero, Cyclops, and plenty more.
Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 is introducing Cyclops as a playable Hero. The newest Mutant Duelist can fire beans to hit enemies or ricochet off the environment, making him the perfect choice for targeting the backline.
He also has a movement ability that lets him position himself where he wants to be, and his Ultimate calls upon a large, super-strong laser.
Of course, with the release of Cyclops comes his Lore. Daredevil and The Punisher are also getting new lore with Version 20260612.
There’s also a brand-new map for the Bounty Annihilation game mode (which is the 18 versus 18 mode), called K’un-Lun: Shenloong Arena. Xbox Series X|S players will need to wait before playing on this map, as there are some bugs that are being worked out on the console.
Season 8.5 of Marvel Rivals will also include the Rivals’ Summer Festival 2026. This is a holiday event that will start on June 18, 2026. There are various missions players can complete, along with new Swimsuit Special costumes, including for Dr. Strange, Cloak and Dagger, Spider-Man, Loki, Black Widow, White Fox, and several more.
A new social hub, the Hellfire Bay Beach, will also be included in the update.
In the shop, the 616 Day Vault is returning. The sale will begin on June 12 and last two weeks, and it’ll feature the following skins:
- Psylocke: Breezy Butterfly Bundle
- Loki: Robe of Relaxation Bundle
- Invisible Woman: Azure Shade Bundle
- The Punisher: Aqua Arsenal Bundle
- Cloak and Dagger: Polarity Bond Bundle
- Winter Soldier: Polarity Soldier Bundle
The shop is also introducing several new bundles and content, including the following:
- Magik: Soulless Sword Bundle
- Cyclops: Weapon M Bundle
- Phoenix: White Crown Phoenix Bundle
- Cyclops: Shadowed Gaze
- Magik: Soulless Sword Chroma Green Glow/Neon Nemesis and Ultimate Ability VFX
- Cyclops: Weapon M Emoji Bundle
- Jean Grey Plush Accessory
There’s also been a delay to the release of Part 2 and Part 3 of the Path to Doomsday. Part 2 will be released in late July, while Part 3 is scheduled now for mid-October.
However, the free event Shenloong Tournament gives players a chance to win the Groot Ironwood Serpent costume for free. The event takes place from June 12. 2026 to July 10, 2026.
Players can check out the full patch notes here, which include a few updates on bugs, new esports information, and Twitch drops. They can also check out the Season 8.5 developer diary below to get a closer look at some of the new things coming with the next update:
Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 kicks off with Version 20260612 tomorrow, June 12, 2026, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The servers will be offline for roughly 2 hours starting at 9 am (UTC) to prepare the servers for the season.
