Marvel Rivals Season 3 Patch Notes: What You Need to Know

Introduction

As fans gear up for the launch of Marvel Rivals Season 3, titled The Abyss Awakens, NetEase released a crucial pre-season patch on July 3, 2025, anticipating the season’s debut on July 11. While not as massive as the upcoming update, this release offers key bug fixes, new skins, and sets the stage for major content changes, enhanced gameplay, and heavy balance adjustments. This article breaks down the patch, previews Season 3, and outlines what players should prepare for in the days ahead.

July 3 Patch Overview

What Players Can Expect

This light patch focuses on polishing the current game state:

• Two new skin bundles:

  • Captain America – Captain Klyntar symbiote skin

  • Spider‑Man – Future Foundation (white and black) skins

• Gameplay fixes:

  • Thor’s Thorforce ability corrected to prevent erratic behavior under high latency

  • Resolved illusions from Magneto & Psylocke prematurely triggering knock-out effects

  • Career page leaderboard navigation no longer glitches

These optimizations enhance match smoothness, stability, and visual consistency. However, players will have to wait until Season 3 for more significant additions 

What’s Coming in Season 3: The Abyss Awakens

Scheduled for July 11, 2025 after routine maintenance, Season 3 will usher in major content upgrades:

Balance Updates & Meta Adjustments

Hero Buffs and Nerfs

Season 3 brings vital balance changes to reshape the meta:

Buffed Heroes:

• Venom

• The Thing (new Battle Blitz ability targeting aerial heroes)

• Namor

• Mantis

• Invisible Woman (heal buff)

• Scarlet Witch 

Nerfed Heroes:

• Emma Frost

• Iron Man

• The Punisher (turrets & ultimate)

• Mister Fantastic (inflated form nerf)

• Loki (ultimate charge)

• Ultron (survivability/defense) 

Team-Up System Overhauled

Season 3 revamps team synergy abilities with new pairings and retirements:

• New Team‑Ups:

  • Primal Flame: Phoenix + Wolverine = burn + lifesteal

  • Ever‑Burning Bond: Human Torch + Spider‑Man = flaming webs & explosions

  • Symbiote Shenanigans: Hela + symbiotes = soul-drain + slow

  • Stark Protocol: Iron Man + Squirrel Girl = squirrel rocket glove 

• Removed: Stormy Ignition, ESU Alumnus 

• Adjusted: Garden Revival weaker, Mantis buffed individually 

UI Improvements & Quality-of-Life Upgrades

Season 3 includes numerous game experience enhancements:

• Customization overhaul: filters, accessories (e.g. for Spider‑Man, Jeff, Emma Frost)

• Chroma variants, custom VFX, MVP animations, and dynamic team backgrounds 

• Mission system refresh: weekly missions persistent, plus new seasonal missions

• New Events tab, Cinematics page, revised post‑match screens with reward info

• Discord SDK integration

• NVIDIA driver update prompt (v576.80+) to prevent GPU crashes

• Replay warning: Season 2 replays won’t carry over—save them early! 

Preparing for Season 3

How to Prep Ahead

1. Save Season 2 Replays before July 11

2. Update GPU drivers to at least v576.80

3. Purchase skins — Captain Klyntar & Future Foundation available July 3 10pm ET 

4. Explore Character Changes — review buffs/nerfs for your mains

5. Adjust Team‑Ups — learn new synergies and dropped combos

6. Plan Battle Pass — align playtime for new rewards

Conclusion

The July 3 patch may be light, but it delivers essential improvements and exciting new cosmetics, serving as a primer for the massive Season 3 overhaul on July 11. With two powerful heroes, a symbiote-themed map, balance reworks, UI enhancements, and a refreshed competitive structure, The Abyss Awakens promises to rejuvenate both casual and ranked play. Stay updated, prepare your settings, and ready your teams for what might be the most transformative season yet.