Marvel Rivals Season 3 Is Here: Buffs, Nerfs, New Team‑Ups, Phoenix & Blade

Season 3, called The Abyss Awakens, goes live July 11, 2025, and it’s shaking up the meta real hard with hero balance shifts, fresh content, and competitive updates.

Hero Balance: Buffs, Nerfs & Tweaks

Buffed Heroes

The Thing now packs the “Battle Blitz” leap—25% damage reduction while jumping, and anti-air knockdowns.

• Venom’s slow finally jumps from 15% to 25%.
• Namor's projectiles fly faster and hit harder.
• Invisible Woman heals more on launch (40→45), launch damage goes up (20→25), but return healing dips (40→35).

Also see buffs for Scarlet Witch, Mantis, Human Torch, and others.

Nerfed Heroes

• Emma Frost loses telepathic pulse power and Diamond form durability, though her ultimate costs less energy.
• Iron Man has weaker Repulsor damage and higher ultimate energy cost.
• Punisher, Loki, Mister Fantastic, Winter Soldier, Wolverine, and Ultron are toned down, to make the meta fairer.

Team‑Up Overhaul

Four Team‑Ups get reworked:

• Ever‑Burning Bond (Human Torch + Spider‑Man): Torch gets +5% damage; Spider‑Man unlocks Inferno Blast.
• Primal Flame (Phoenix + Wolverine): Phoenix gains +10% damage; Wolverine now wields Phoenix Warrior.
• Symbiote Shenanigans adds Hela with tendril-linked slows.
• Stark Protocol now includes Squirrel Girl and her homing missile.
• Old combos like Storming Ignition and ESU Alumnus are removed.

New Heroes, Map, Battle Pass & Systems

• Phoenix (Jean Grey) debuts July 11 as a Duelist with fiery, telekinetic, flight-based abilities.
• Blade arrives mid-season on August 8, bringing vampiric melee action.
• A new domination map, Klyntar: Celestial Husk, debuts—it’s symbiote-themed and cosmic.
• The Power of the Phoenix Battle Pass launches with fiery skins, cosmetics, accessories, UI upgrades (new lobby backgrounds, post-match stats), Twitch Drops, and refreshed missions.

Season cycles shorten to two months with monthly hero releases and a competitive-rank reset

This season flip-flops the meta: underdogs like Thing and Venom rise, while top dogs such as Emma Frost and Iron Man get checked. New Team‑Ups open fresh strategies, and Phoenix + Blade brings distinct play styles. The symbiote map and UI improvements add polish. July 11 is looking like a huge day for Rivals.