How will Marvel Rivals Season 3 impact esports?

Marvel Rivals has released a reveal trailer and an in-depth Dev Vision covering everything to expect from Marvel Rivals Season 3: The Abyss Awakens, which drops on July 11th, 2025.

From new heroes, Team-Ups, balance changes and more, the new seasons seeks to shake up the meta in ways that affect both casual players and top teams competing in esports.

The Season 3 reveal trailer offered a glimpse into the two new characters, Phoenix and Blade, joining the game’s extensive roster. Phoenix will drop as a duelist in the first half of the season, while Blade will arrive in the second half.

Not much has been revealed about their kits as of writing this article. However, during the dev vision, it was revealed that Phoenix would have an ultimate capable of destroying summons on the field, and will have a new Team-Up with Wolverine.

During the Dev Vision Guangyun ‘Guangguan’ Chen, NetEase’s Creative Director for Marvel Rivals, said: “Jean Grey is a ranged duelist, wielding the overwhelming power of the Phoenix Force. She can pressure tightly grouped enemies head-on, or use her agile mobility to disrupt formations from the flank.

“Her unique chain reaction delivers a whole new level of gameplay satisfaction. Additionally, her ultimate, where she merges with the Phoenix Force, doesn’t just deal massive damage, it also has a special ability to clear enemy summons from the battlefield.”

With a new season comes the addition of new Team-Ups, alongside the retirement of old ones. Starting from Season 3, players will receive two new Team-Ups.

Storming Ignition (Storm, Huma-Torch) and ESU Alumnus (Spider-Man, Squirrel Girl) will be removed from play starting from Season 3. There will also be adjustments to the currently existing Team-Ups.

Season 2 saw a lot of metas rise and fall, from the resurgence of dive to the recent flyer strategies used in professional play.

Flyers have wreaked havoc in the latter half of Season 2, and has seen a lot of esports play. Ultron was particularly strong in triple strategist comps, and flyers such as Iron-Man and Human-Torch saw a lot of play in poke comps.

‘Zhiyong’, NetEase’s Lead Combat Designer for Marvel Rivals, also revealed that rush-down comps, consisting of either Venom or Captain America, also proved popular amongst players. But not all Vanguards saw the same level of success, as characters like The Thing struggled this season.

These are all the changes coming in Season 3:

These are only some of the changes coming with Season 3: The Abyss Awakens, as Zhiyong promises a full balance patch will be published closer to its release.

Based on past seasons, new characters tend to become become meta. From Invisible Woman, The Thing, and eventually Human Torch in Season 1, to both Emma Frost and Ultron in Season 2. But only time will tell whether Phoenix or Blade will become top-tier characters.

The Thing may see a lot more play in esports due to how powerful flyers are at the moment. The ability to ground these characters could mean the difference between victory and defeat, and perhaps encourage teams to explore other comps.

The most surprising fact is that the Jeff-Nado ultimate was not removed, which has become a staple for a lot of teams’ strategies, especially in tournaments such as Marvel Rivals Ignite. Despite receiving nerfs from previous patches, it is still one of the most powerful tools in the game.

Season 3 is shaking up the game in a lot of ways, and it will impact both casual and professional players. This will certainly impact qualified teams that will compete in the Mid-Season Finals of Marvel Rivals Ignite Stage 1 – taking place in Guangzhou, China in August, 2025.