Season 4 of Marvel Rivals has arrived, bringing the Heart of the Dragon update and the Angels vs. Devils theme. This season expands the story, adds new heroes and maps, revamps Arcade, and reshapes the meta through sweeping balance adjustments. Alongside these core features, players also get system upgrades, cosmetic events, and special programs.
Here’s what this guide will cover in detail:
- Story & Setting – The Heart of the Dragon lore, Shou-Lao, K’un-Lun, and the angels vs. devils conflict.
- New Heroes – Angela at launch, Daredevil (Dizang) later in the season.
- New Map – Heart of Heaven battleground and its release date.
- Arcade Overhaul – Permanent casual modes, new additions, and returning favorites.
- Team-Up Changes – Removal, reworks, and the new Angela–Thor synergy.
- Hero Balance Updates – Major buffs, nerfs, and reworks across all classes.
- Ranked & Competitive – Rank resets, rewards, bans, and upcoming placement matches.
- Quality-of-Life Updates – Voice chat, social features, UI, customization, performance tweaks, and lobby upgrades.
- Cosmetics & Events – Season 4 battle pass, Scroll of the Immortal Beasts event, Summer Special Vol. 2, ranked rewards, and the College Program.
Marvel Rivals Season 4 Story & Lore – Heart of the Dragon Explained
The narrative focus shifts to the Heart of the Dragon, a new realm formed by a “time stream entanglement” that has finally swept up the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. Within this mystical location, the immortal dragon Shou-Lao lies in a deep slumber. With Doom’s schemes brewing in the shadows, his sinister plans to exploit this power vacuum are a central threat. This season’s lore also expands on the Iron Fist lore, positioning new and existing characters in a conflict for the fate of this new realm.
New Map Heart of Heaven & Arcade Mode Overhaul (Season 4)
A significant addition to the map pool is the “Heart of Heaven,” a visually bright and beautiful map featuring a payload-style objective. This new battleground will be central to the Heart of the Dragon season.
The Arcade Mode has been overhauled and made permanent, creating a new hub for casual play.
- Returning Favorites: Fan-favorite modes like Giant Size Brain Blast and Clone Rumble are back for good. Players can jump into a quick match of either at any time.
- New Modes: A new mode, Ninomaru Free Fight, which is a ninomaru free fight based on having no hero restrictions, allows for maximum chaos. Other modes like Doom Match and Conquest are also available within the single Arcade Hub. This streamlined access makes it easier than ever to get into a game, whether it’s a hectic Clone Rumble or a tactical Doom Match.
| Mode | Type/Objective | Unique Rules | Availability |
| Heart of Heaven | Convergence (payload-style) map | Central lore map of Season 4 | Enters rotation Sept 25, 2025 |
| Conquest (Annihilation) | Team deathmatch, first to 50 points | Played on Tokyo 2099: Ninomaru | Permanent |
| Free Fight | Quick Match with duplicate heroes allowed | Each team bans 2 heroes; no restrictions | Permanent |
| Clone Rumble | Capture point chaos | Choose from 2 random heroes; fastest capture wins | Permanent |
| Giant Size Brain Blast | Humorous, big-head combat | Same rules as before; Ninomaru map | Permanent |
| Doom Match | Asymmetrical battle mode | Played on Empire of Eternal Night map | Permanent |
Season 4 Team-Up Changes & Hero Balance Patch Notes
This feels like the final season of the old meta, as a wave of changes redefines hero roles and team synergies.
Team-Up Adjustments
- Removed: The Dimensional Shortcut team-up (Magik & Black Panther) has been removed.
- Arcane Order (Adjusted): Magik joins Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch, gaining a new ability to link two enemies and slow them.
- Gamma Charge (Adjusted): Black Panther joins Hulk and Namor. His armor is enhanced with Gamma energy, automatically activating a shield to block incoming damage when his health drops low.
- Divine Armory (New): The new team-up for the new heroes Angela and Thor gives Thor a powerful ability to throw a spear and leap to its location, allowing him to shatter enemy lines and secure kills.
Marvel Rivals Season 4 Hero Balance Changes – Buffs & Nerfs
| Hero | Change Type | Details |
| Captain America | Nerf | Removed 5% team-up anchor damage bonus. |
| Doctor Strange | Adjusted | Maelstrom cooldown reduced to 6s; base health lowered to 575. |
| Emma Frost | Nerf | Diamond Form cooldown 15s → 18s; shield energy gain halved. |
| Peni Parker | Buff | Spider drones apply stacking slow up to 40%; ultimate deploys faster. |
| Thor | Buff | Ultimate gains speed boost; landing now stuns enemies for 1s. |
| Black Panther | Nerf | Spirit Rend bonus HP reduced; base HP lowered to 275. |
| Blade | Buff | Ancestral Sword damage 22 → 24; stronger self-healing. |
| Magik | Rework | Major kit overhaul; faster Magic Slash, cooldown resets, higher damage. |
| Moon Knight | Buff | Moonblade now holds 2 charges for more burst potential. |
| Psylocke | Nerf | Shuriken recall damage reduced from 12 → 8 per hit. |
| Scarlet Witch | Buff | Ultimate damage raised to 9,999; pulls in nearby enemies. |
| Squirrel Girl | Adjusted | Burst Acorn damage reduced; cooldown refresh lengthened; trap buffed. |
| Winter Soldier | Buff | Mechanical arm applies 1s anti-mobility debuff on 2nd strike. |
| Invisible Woman | Buff | Shield slow 35%; ultimate heals more and slows inside field. |
| Jeff the Land Shark | Buff | Ultimate leaves 8m healing pool for allies. |
| Loki | Nerf | Illusions weaker; ultimate duration shortened to 12s. |
| Luna Snow | Nerf | Ultimate duration reduced from 12s → 10s. |
| Mantis | Buff/QoL | Movement speed buff decays over 2s after damage instead of instantly. |
| Ultron | Buff | Ultimate now deals 125% damage to bonus health/shields. |
Vanguards
- Captain America: Loses his 5% team-up anchor damage bonus in a direct nerf.
- Doctor Strange: The cooldown on Maelstrom of Madness is reduced to 6 seconds, but his base health is lowered to 575.
- Emma Frost: The cooldown on Diamond Form is increased to 18 seconds, and energy gained from hitting shields is halved.
- Peni Parker: Her spider drones now apply a potent stacking slow (up to 40%), and her ultimate deploys them more rapidly.
- Thor: His ultimate gains movement speed, and its landing now stuns enemies for one second, making the enemy defeated screen much more likely.
Duelists
- Black Panther: Survivability is reduced with less bonus health from Spirit Rend and a lower base HP of 275.
- Blade: Ancestral Sword damage is up from 22 to 24, which also buffs his self-healing.
- Magik: Undergoes a major rework to compensate for losing her anchor bonus, with buffs across her kit and new mechanics for her Magic Slash.
- Moon Knight: His Moonblade now holds two charges for more burst potential.
- Psylocke: The damage from recalling her shurikens is nerfed from 12 to 8 per hit.
- Scarlet Witch: Her ultimate’s damage is increased to 9,999 and now pulls enemies in, making it a true reality eraser.
- Squirrel Girl: A rebalance sees her primary fire damage lowered, but her cooldown refresh ability is nerfed with a 50% longer cooldown.
- Winter Soldier: The second strike from Bucky’s mechanical arm now applies a 1-second debuff that prevents enemies from using mobility abilities.
Strategists
- Invisible Woman: Her shield’s slow is increased to 35%, and her ultimate now heals for more (180/sec) while also slowing enemies inside by 20%.
- Jeff the Land Shark: His ultimate now leaves a large healing pool for the entire team.
- Loki: Receives an overall nerf, with illusions dealing less damage/healing and a shorter ultimate duration.
- Luna Snow: Her ultimate’s duration is reduced from 12 to 10 seconds.
- Mantis: Her passive movement boost now decays over 2 seconds after taking damage instead of instantly disappearing.
- Ultron: His ultimate now deals 125% damage to bonus health, making him a powerful counter to shields and over-health.
Season 4 QoL Updates – Social, UI & System Changes
Season 4 Ranked & Competitive Updates – Placement Matches, Rewards & Bans
Placement matches are in development but will not arrive until a mid season update. For now, the same ban rules apply as players grind their way to Diamond I. These ban rules are crucial for shaping the competitive meta.
Communication and Social Features
- Major improvements have been made to squad voice chat. Enabling squad voice chat is more intuitive, and squad comms can be set to squad comms private to speak only with your party.
- A new social system will suggest suitable friends based on your performance and helps find compatible allies. These friend suggestions make it easier to form a consistent strike squad.
UI, Customization, and Performance
- The career page has been updated to better showcase key stats, allowing players to track their battle performance and view current map wins. These key stats give a clearer picture of progress.
- A favorites bar has been added to the hero select screen, allowing quick access to your frequently used heroes and other preferred heroes.
- The new custom ability VFX visibility setting allows you to choose whether you see other players’ cosmetic ultimate effects. A new option in the video settings for low graphics settings allows for a potential FPS increase.
- Players can now download high resolution versions of their favorite art and gallery cards locally.
- The much-requested added slow walk feature for PC players is now in the game.
Game Lobbies and Setup
- Players can set up a custom game in the tournament room or queue up in a standard team lobby. You can now preview multiple selected unlocked costumes on your character while waiting in the team lobby. The ability to enable auto-pause during custom matches is a much-requested feature for competitive integrity.
Season 4 Cosmetics & Events – Battle Pass, Summer Special Vol. 2 & College Program
The Heart of the Dragon season event introduces a new event pass with exclusive rewards.
- Cosmetics: The Summer Special Vol. 2 cosmetic line arrives on September 18th. The event pass will also feature Immortal Beast Badges and opportunities to earn a free costume. Players can work towards unlocking highly sought-after outfits like Siriana’s Silver Costume.
- College Program: This program returns, offering another chance to get a free costume pack for students who verify their status.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Marvel Rivals Season 4: Heart of the Dragon about?
Season 4 introduces the Angels vs. Devils theme, where K’un-Lun and the Heart of Heaven become the focal battleground. The story explores a mystical realm linked to Iron Fist lore, where Shou-Lao the dragon lies dormant. Doctor Doom seeks to exploit this event, while Angela and Daredevil embody the celestial and demonic conflict shaping the season.
Which new heroes are added in Season 4 of Marvel Rivals?
Two heroes arrive in Season 4. At launch, players get Angela, a Vanguard fighter wielding dual axes and spear-based aerial abilities. Later in the mid-season update, Daredevil appears under the mantle of Dizang, bringing acrobatic duelist combat tied directly to the Eighth City lore.
What is the new Convergence Mode map in Season 4?
The new Convergence mode map is Heart of Heaven, a radiant K’un-Lun battleground with payload-style objectives. It officially enters rotation later in the season and plays a central role in the unfolding Heart of the Dragon storyline.
Are duplicate heroes allowed in Season 4 game modes?
Yes. The Ninomaru Free Fight mode introduces full chaos by allowing duplicate heroes on the same team, with no hero restrictions. This lets players stack the same character for experimental or high-damage compositions, adding unpredictability to matches.
Which returning fan-favorite game modes are permanent in Season 4?
Two fan-favorite modes—Giant Size Brain Blast and Clone Rumble—are now permanent in the Arcade Hub. Both offer lighter, chaotic gameplay compared to ranked matches, giving players reliable access to fun diversions whenever they want.
What are the major hero balance changes in Season 4?
The patch brings buffs, nerfs, and reworks across Vanguards, Duelists, and Strategists. Moon Knight and Blade saw improvements to burst and sustain, while Winter Soldier, Psylocke, and Loki faced reductions. Scarlet Witch’s ultimate received a huge buff, now pulling in nearby enemies with deadly force.
How was Angela designed in Marvel Rivals Season 4?
Angela is a celestial Vanguard who excels at initiating fights. Her dual axes and Ichors-based abilities let her leap into combat, shield herself, and control space. She also forms the new Divine Armory team-up with Thor, granting him Thunderstrike Pike for devastating gap-closing attacks.
What changes were made to team-ups in Season 4?
The roster of team-ups was reshaped. Dimensional Shortcut (Magik & Black Panther) was removed. Magik now joins Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch in Arcane Order with a new chain ability, Black Panther enters Gamma Charge with Hulk and Namor for shield durability, and Angela joins Thor in Divine Armory, adding fresh synergy to team comps.
Did Winter Soldier receive changes in Season 4?
Yes. Winter Soldier’s mechanical arm now adds utility: the second strike applies a one-second debuff that locks out mobility abilities. This stops nearby enemies from dashing or escaping, making Bucky more threatening in duels and small skirmishes.
What buffs did Moon Knight get in Season 4?
Moon Knight’s Moonblade ability now carries two charges, allowing back-to-back ranged bursts. This update gives him more tools to pressure enemies and secure kills, aligning with his duelist role where flexibility and burst windows are critical.
How is Iron Fist lore tied into Season 4?
The Heart of the Dragon narrative draws heavily from Iron Fist lore. The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven converge, with K’un-Lun and Shou-Lao at the center. This expansion weaves martial mysticism into the game’s lore, providing context for the Heart of Heaven battleground and linking classic Marvel history with new gameplay.
What is the match settlement system in Season 4?
The match settlement phase now presents more detailed post-game screens. It highlights performance metrics like map win rates and team contributions, giving clearer feedback about how players influenced the outcome and where improvements can be made.
What changes were made to Scarlet Witch in Season 4?
Scarlet Witch’s ultimate, Reality Erasure, is now a true game-ender. It deals 9,999 damage and pulls in nearby enemies, leaving little chance of escape. Combined with her mystical projection buffs, Scarlet Witch is deadlier in both team fights and duels.
Are there new social or ally features in Season 4?
Yes. A new recommendation system suggests compatible allies in game after matches. By analyzing playstyle and performance, it helps players find teammates they synergize well with, making it easier to form stable squads without relying only on random matchmaking.
What quality-of-life features were added in Season 4?
Updates include a squad voice chat overhaul with volume control, a hero select favorites bar, new visual effect toggles for ultimates, slow walk functionality for PC, and FPS boosts on low settings. These make gameplay smoother and more personalized for different playstyles.
What events are active in Marvel Rivals Season 4?
The Scroll of the Immortal Beasts event runs alongside the season, rewarding players with Immortal Beast Badges. Completing enough unlocks a free Ultron Wasteland Robot costume, plus other themed cosmetics exclusive to the event window.
What is included in the Season 4 battle pass?
The pass, themed Fruit of Immortality, contains ten new costume sets, profile icons, and other rewards. It features both free and premium tracks, with designs inspired by celestial motifs fitting the season’s lore. Players can earn items progressively by completing matches and challenges.
When does the Summer Special Vol. 2 release in Marvel Rivals?
The Summer Special Vol. 2 cosmetic collection launches on September 18, 2025. It includes seasonal skins and accessories, letting players expand their wardrobes with limited-time outfits before they rotate out of the shop.
Is the College Program returning in Season 4?
Yes. Students who verify their enrollment can claim a costume pack featuring exclusive hero skins. This rotation includes designs for heroes like Spider-Man, Thor, Loki, and Luna Snow, making it one of the best free offers for eligible players.
How do Season 4 ranked rewards work?
Ranked players earn rewards at different tiers. Reaching Gold unlocks Angela’s Siriana’s Silver costume, while Platinum and Diamond award special nameplates. Top players who reach Grandmaster or higher also gain unique Crests of Honor to showcase their skill.
