Marvel Rivals Blade First Look Image and In-Game Lore Leak Suggests Season 2 Release

ign.com:

Marvel Rivals fans now have their first look at upcoming playable character Blade and even an idea of when he’ll be playable, via a fresh leak.

First revealed by X/Twitter user Miller Ross, the Blade image is lifted from an in-game gallery card set to launch alongside Season 1. The image also features Ratatoskr, a giant Asgardian squirrel beast. Developer NetEase Games has yet to announce Blade as an upcoming playable character.

In the lead up to #MarvelRivals #EternalNightFalls, Dracula subdues the two greatest threats to his Empire of Eternal Night—Blade and Ratatoskr. But the #FantasticFour won't let New York fall to the undead without a fight, and they prove to be formidable foes in Blade's absence. pic.twitter.com/eIceN8rX97

According to the in-game lore, new villain Dracula “subdues” Blade and Ratatoskr, but the Fantastic Four, set to arrive with the launch of Season 1 this week, are ready to save the day.

Based on this image and lore, fans are speculating that by the end of Season 1, the Fantastic Four will have defeated Dracula and saved Blade, making him available as a playable character for the launch of Season 2.

Blade was leaked as an upcoming playable character ahead of this official first-look. The vampire hunter is part of a list of leaked characters that popped up even before Marvel Rivals launched in December. That list included Mister Fantastic and Sue Storm, both of which are due out with Season 1’s launch on January 10.

Season 2 is expected to launch in April 2025. In the shorter term, we have Marvel Rivals Season 1 global release times info, Season 1 patch notes, and official stats that reveal Marvel Rivals' pick and win rates in Quickplay and Competitive modes for Season 0.

Check out IGN’s Marvel Rivals Review to find out what we think. And keep an eye on the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins, and vote on the strongest Marvel Rivals characters in our community tier list.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You