The first season of Marvel Rivals has only just began, and two of its new playable characters may already have been uncovered.
Marvel Rivals Season 1, "Eternal Night Falls," got underway on Friday, January 10 with two new playable heroes, Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman. The launch kickstarted the Fantastic Four's debut in Rivals, as Human Torch and the Thing are expected to follow in around six weeks, releasing for all at the mid-season.
Blade Is Coming to Marvel Rivals - Everything We Know
Following the launch of Marvel Rivals Season 1, which brings the Fantastic Four into the game as new playable heroes, fans have already started hunting for clues on which heroes and villains could enter the fold next.
One leaked Strategist character, Ultron, was delayed to Season 2, and Marvel Rivals has seemingly begun teasing the debut of a much-anticipated anti-hero.
Those following Marvel Rivals will know that Season 1 is centered around Dracula teaming up with Doctor Doom to plunge New York into darkness and unleash vampiric creatures into this eternal night. As part of the villainous vampire plan, Dracula has captured his greatest adversary and popular hero, Blade.
Official artwork for "Eternal Night Falls" revealed Dracula with Blade held in his clutches as his vampires tear through New York City. This isn't the first gamers have heard of Blade coming to Rivals, as he was previously leaked among 11 other Marvel heroes to be coming as playable characters.
Blade was among the few leaked heroes to have images of his in-game character design surface at launch alongside the Fantastic Four and Ultron. As Marvel's First Family has now been confirmed as Season 1's new playable characters, the evidence suggests Blade and Ultron will serve as Season 2's roster additions.
Eric Brooks, aka Blade, joining Rivals after "Eternal Night Falls" with Season 2 also fits into the game's ongoing narrative. The season ought to conclude with Dracula and his vampiric creatures defeated and Blade freed from his clutches, thereby allowing him to enter the arena as the latest playable character.
In terms of Blade's playstyle in Rivals, a post on X (formerly Twitter) by @Rivals_Leaks stated the vampire hunter will wield two primary weapons in Galacta's Marvel arena, his famous katana and a hunting shotgun.
The leaker shared the names of Blade's other abilities, which may reportedly allow him to track enemies through walls, perform unique attacks with his katana, and deflect incoming ranged attacks:
- Weapon 1: Katana
- Weapon 2: Hunting Shotgun
- Passive: Bloodline Liberation
- Ability 1: Stomp and Slash
- Ability 2: Dark Night Attack
- Ability 3: Fang Deflect
- Ultimate: New Moon
Another leaker, @X0X_LEAK, stated Blade will be able to "transform into his Vampire form," in which he will be able to perform different attacks. Presumably, this vampiric form will be unlocked through his "New Moon" ultimate ability.
Based on Marvel Rivals' three-month plan for each season, Season 2 ought to arrive at some point in April. If Blade does end up being among its launch heroes as has been teased, he should be playable around then.
Blade has recently undergone a resurgence since Wesley Snipes reprised his legacy Marvel hero in 2024 for Deadpool & Wolverine. The long-awaited return comes as Marvel Studios struggles to get its Blade reboot off the ground (perhaps they should abandon it in favor of another supernatural flick).
Furthermore, Marvel Rivals won't be the only way players get their hands on Blade soon, as the vampire hunter has been confirmed to lead a single-player game from Bethesda and Dishonored's Arkane Studios, with no release date announced yet.
Marvel Rivals is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
