On Friday, January 16, 2026, Marvel Rivals fans finally waited — the long-awaited sixth season, ironically titled “Night at the Museum,” officially launched. The main information guide, of course, was the launch of Deadpool, which, apparently, decided to turn the usual gameplay upside down. The developers did not just introduce a “chatty mercenary”, but gave him a unique feature for the project — this is the first fighter capable of juggling the roles of Defender, Duelist or Support, depending on the situation. To be honest, this approach looks like an attempt by NetEase to really shake up the balance.
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Events and roadmap of Marvel Rivals Season 6
By the way, the project support team has rolled out a detailed activity plan for the next month, and the schedule looks pretty tight. On the very first day, January 16, players received not only Wade Wilson himself, but also a fresh combat pass with the telling name “Museum Ticket”. In addition, we launched a fun Whac-a-Jeff event and updated the wardrobe for Spider-Man with Venom, a classic that is always on sale. But this is, in fact, only the tip of the iceberg.
A week later, on January 23rd, the “Disco Night in Times Square” will unfold in the vastness of Marvel Rivals. Apparently, a powerful dose of retro aesthetics awaits us – themed costumes for Thor and Luna Snow have been confirmed. The next important milestone is January 30th. On this day, they promise to open a new Museum of Contemplation location and launch the Clobberin’ Club event, accompanied by cosmetics for Emma Frost and Angela.
Release date and details of Update 6.5
The most interesting thing, in my opinion, was saved for the equator of the season. On February 2, the developers will roll out another pack of premium skins, but the real thunder will strike on February 13. That’s when the interim 6.5 update will happen, and the evil hunter Elsa Bloodstone will be officially registered in the roster. It looks like the season will be as intense as possible, and Deadpool here is just the trigger for a larger—scale change in the meta. Admittedly, the pace of content release in 2026 is still encouraging.
An overview of Deadpool’s Abilities and Roles in Marvel Rivals
Wade Wilson, apparently, decided to mock the very foundations of Marvel Rivals, becoming the first character in the history of the project with a floating role. This is not just another hero, but a real nightmare for load balancers. Deadpool, in fact, allows the player to switch between a Duelist, Defender, or Strategist right during the battle — apparently so that the team doesn’t whine about the lack of a tank or heal. At the same time, in whatever role he performs, the guy does not part with his branded Desert Eagles and sharp katanas. By the way, Wade is fully aware that he is just a set of polygons, so he accumulates experience in a special “leveling book”, strengthening his insane talents as the rink progresses.
Wade Wilson’s Skills and Basic Weapons
Admittedly, the developers have thought out the basis well, which remains unchanged for any chosen role. With the left mouse button (LMB), we either fire pistols or chop enemies in close combat — and in the role of a Strategist, the whole thing begins to heal the allies. You can instantly switch between guns via Shift, which, to be honest, creates a frenzied dynamic.
Plus, Deadpool is a master of parkour. His space bar ban allows you not only to jump on walls, but also to crush enemies a la Mario, getting 25 shield units for this. In fact, his survival rate is exorbitant due to the “Healing Factor” (regen is out of combat or in critical condition) and the “Maximum Style” system, where energy is awarded for ulta for accurate hits.
Gameplay for the Duelist Defender and Strategist
When Wade tries on different masks, the gameplay, I must say, changes radically. This is what it looks like in practice:
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Duelist (DD): The emphasis here is on pure aggression. There is a boomerang on the PCM (the main thing is to catch it back for a rollback!) and a series of lunges with blades. The Skill Difficulty ulta simply mocks enemies — if they miss Deadpool, they take damage themselves. It makes sense, really.
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Defender (Tank): This is where the real sur begins. Wade throws a stuffed unicorn, which creates an impenetrable dome — a magical shield, no less. Jerks now knock opponents away, and the ultimate “Judge’s Hammer” ability turns a mercenary into a living damage sponge that heals from other people’s misses.
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Strategist (Support): Probably the most useful variation for a team game. Boomerang and jerks begin to distribute heal to allies, and the “Deadpool in your neighborhood” ability not only blinds enemies, but also sends waves of healing through the area. The Ulta “Final Exam” is generally an instant “inhale” of health for the entire group.
As a result, we got the most unpredictable fighter. In fact, Deadpool is the perfect answer to any opponent’s tactics. To be honest, I’m waiting for the players to learn how to use his “leveling book” (F key) to the fullest — it can turn him into an indestructible machine by the middle of the match.
Character Balance Changes in the Sixth Season
The sixth season, apparently, decided not to limit itself to just a chatty mercenary and rolled out a serious list of edits for the old guard. In fact, we see an attempt by developers to pull out those who have been lying on the shelf from the tilt and slightly besiege the overbearing imbs. Admittedly, the edit table looks impressive — there are so many changes that the meta will definitely crack at the seams.
Tank Rebalancing and strengthening the Hulk with Strange
Let’s start with those who absorb the damage. Angela, by the way, grabbed a light nerf — her shield in the rack dropped to 300 units instead of the previous 350. It’s a shame, but bearable. But Captain America will now throw his “Vibranium Saw” more often, because the rollback has been reduced to 6 seconds.
Dr. Strange deserves special attention. Apparently, the master of mystical arts decided that it was time to hit harder — the damage coefficient of the “Whirlpool of Madness” was raised to 1.3. Plus, the Levitation Cloak now works smarter: you can interrupt the flight by maintaining inertia and choosing a new vector. It just gives you wild maneuverability.
Emma Frost also did not stay away — the energy gain from the hits accelerated on all fronts. And the Hulk has become an unstoppable machine. Judge for yourself: the jump charge time has been cut (now the maximum is 1.7 seconds), the Gamma explosion hits harder and more often, and in the guise of a monster it is now impossible to throw or push it away. Along the way, the green giant is back in fashion.
Overview of Duelist edits and Blade Changes
It’s hot in the DD camp too. By the way, the Black Panther now feels more confident — the spear does 50 damage, and during the animation of the ulta, T’Challa gets 50% resistance. Wakanda forever, no less.
But Blade went through a real rebalance lab. To be honest, its mechanics have been greatly complicated. Now his jerks work differently depending on the cannon in his hands: the rifle slows down the target by 40%, and the sword hangs a hard anti-heal (up to 32% of the cure slice). However, he shoots a little less heavily now, and the damage drops faster at a distance.
Unfortunately, Daredevil was dealt. Apparently, he was punishing too hard, so the damage to the “Chains” and “Throw” was cut off, and the rage from the hooks is now accumulating twice as slowly. On the other hand, Iron Fist received a pleasant increase in damage from the fourth blow and a little more time for his “Dragon Defense” — now as much as 1.2 seconds.
Namor has also undergone changes. The King of Atlantis has become slightly weaker in terms of the duration of the “Water Domination”, but his minions are now fatter (125 HP) and bite more painfully. Apparently, the emphasis is on mass recruitment pressure.
Nerf Strategists and New Twitch Drops Rewards
The sixth season, apparently, decided to finally knock the ground out from under the feet of those who are used to endless fun. The publisher has rolled out an update announcement, and, to be honest, the Strategists will have a hard time. In fact, NetEase is trying to make the game more dynamic by cutting off the passive survival rate of top support teams, though not forgetting to add cosmetics for fans.
Strategists under the gun: Who got the most?
The most interesting rebalance, admittedly, was the Cloak and Dagger. The developers decided to enhance their synergy: now the Storm of Daggers heals a little weaker (only 45 per second), but when the field is deployed, the allies instantly take 60 health units. Apparently, now it’s a tool for dramatically saving the team. By the way, the Cover and the Terrifying Cloak are now sitting on common charges with the same CD in a couple of seconds — plan the buttons in advance.
The gambit, by the way, was captured by a direct and painful nerf. The damage from the “Big Easy Hit” has almost doubled, and the ultimate flash now gives out 55 units of treatment instead of 75. Hurtful. Plus, the “Bridge Booster” will no longer endlessly jump on one target — now there are strictly two bounces and a point.
The invisible woman has also become noticeably more fragile. Sue is now much more dependent on the second support in the team, as her own shield has been cut to 200 units, and the regeneration of the heroine herself has slowed down by half. It’s cool that they didn’t forget the Rocket either — his “Wild Dash” lost 2 m/s in speed. In general, it will be a little easier to catch up with the raccoon now.
Freebies on Twitch and extended holidays
New Twitch Drops have been rolled out for fans of customization. From January 16 to February 13, 2026 (until 12:00 Moscow time), Invisible people will receive gifts for watching streams.
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30 minutes — “Volya Galakty” spray;
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1 hour — name plate;
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2 hours — a new emotion;
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4 o’clock — top purple suit.
It is logical that the winter festivals have also been extended — apparently, you can collect gifts at Jeff’s Winter Splash and Gone Nutty until January 29. An unexpectedly pleasant bonus for those who did not have time to complete all the quests.
Game optimization and new photo mode on PC
In addition to the balance, NetEase did a great job on the code. The most powerful thing is optimizing the weight of the game on the PC. Marvel Rivals now takes up 15% less space on your hard drive. It’s a small thing, but it feels good. By the way, a full-fledged photo mode has been brought to Times Square: you can turn filters and capture your most ridiculous or pretentious moments in the match.
