Marvel Rivals Season 9 Promises Major Changes, New Strategist Jubilee Arrives
Marvel Rivals players are expecting Season 9 to be a major shake-up, with NetEase promising a packed rollout aimed at keeping the community busy. A new battleground tied to Apocalypse’s empire is scheduled to arrive a few weeks after the season kicks off. Strategist Jubilee is set to debut on day one, while (based on current expectations) Vanguard The Hood should land somewhere in the middle of the season. That’s only the start: the game is also adding fresh systems such as health regeneration, revising the team-up mechanics, and delivering Black Widow’s long-requested rework to make her feel closer to Ashe-style gameplay from Overwatch. Even with all those changes, Season 9 isn’t just borrowing the same design philosophy—one battle pass skin in particular looks strikingly familiar.
The newest battle pass for Marvel Rivals leans heavily into an Egyptian theme, aligning with the season’s Apocalypse-linked map and the appearance of En Sabah Nur. Deadpool is getting a playful mummy outfit, while Mantis and Rocket wear jewelry and costumes that fit the setting. Iron Man, meanwhile, is especially eye-catching in a metallic golden pharaoh look. Not every costume strictly follows the theme, though—there’s also a plant-based Venom skin whose face strongly resembles Stranger Things’ Demogorgon more than anything you’d expect from a typical Egyptian design. The standout is still Ultron, however, with the Ultron-15 skin. This version places the robot in a cowboy-like ensemble, complete with a hat and duster, and at a quick glance the styling appears extremely similar to Overwatch’s most highly anticipated hero expected in 2026.
Marvel Rivals Season 9 is set to start on July 10, 2026.
Some Overwatch features sparked debate when they first appeared, but they ultimately made the game healthier—so it makes sense that Marvel Rivals would move in a similar direction.
Overwatch’s Mysterious Omnic Support Has Had Players Talking For Months
When Overwatch unveiled the silhouettes for its 2026 hero lineup, players instantly spotted a couple of key details. First, fans were excited by the possibility of another member of the MEKA Squad moving into the Tank roster, with D.Mon seemingly on track for inclusion as early as Season 4. Second, the outline of what’s expected to be a Support hero for Season 5 (or possibly Season 6) captured attention right away. The silhouette suggests an Omnic detective equipped with a cane, hat, and jacket, and it looks notably different from the characters pictured around it. Because Overwatch’s community has long been asking for more Omnic additions, the idea of an Omnic with such a distinctive look felt like a big win.
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Of course, there’s still a chance the hero won’t match what players are imagining. Many people may be picturing something closer to Fallout 4’s Nick Valentine, but the silhouette can’t confirm anything about personality—after all, Overwatch’s Shion had one of the dullest silhouettes in the 2026 lineup, yet her actual design ended up being a hit. Even if the final hero turns out differently than expected, the excitement is already there: players have been trading ideas about the Omnic and talking about how they can’t wait to see what he’s like later in the year. The way Marvel Rivals applies that same kind of flashy, hat-and-coat framing to its own robot character almost feels like NetEase noticed the hype and decided to offer a similar-feeling cosmetic to its audience sooner.
Marvel Rivals’ New Ultron Skin Isn’t an Original Idea Like Overwatch’s Upcoming Omnic
Still, even if Ultron-15 is arriving because Overwatch’s mystery Omnic has been such a major talking point, this skin likely would have shown up in Marvel Rivals eventually anyway. Ultron-15 is one of the character’s more memorable comic-book designs—odd, but interesting in a way that sticks. It was introduced during the Ultron Unlimited storyline, and this version of Ultron struggles with human emotions. To cope, he dulls those feelings with alcohol. While creator Hank Pym could be connected to why this specific take on Ultron leans more human, the design also suggests the scientist may have gone through a cowboy or detective phase. The drunk, mentally worn Ultron-15 is dressed like he belongs in the Wild West, which makes the look feel like more than just a random costume choice.
Upcoming Releases
Even if Ultron-15 landing in a Marvel Rivals battle pass or the in-game shop was inevitable given how distinctive the concept is, the timing is still a smart move for NetEase. If Overwatch’s Support players are getting tired of waiting for a new hero in their preferred role—because they’ll have to sit through the remainder of Season 3 and all of Season 4 before a Support finally debuts—then a skin that evokes their most anticipated upcoming Overwatch hero could be exactly the kind of nudge that makes them try something else for a while. And if they do, the sheer amount of content coming with Marvel Rivals Season 9 could be enough to keep them around, helping the Marvel Rivals community expand even further.
