Marvel Rivals is adding a new hero for its Season 9.5 update, a sinister underworld figure named The Hood. Voiced by WWE star Damian Priest, The Hood brings a blend of mobster persona and demonic power to the live-service game, with a particular visual resemblance to the Gun Devil from the manga and anime series Chainsaw Man.
As a Vanguard-class character, The Hood can fluidly switch between his human and demon forms. In his human state, he utilizes pistols for suppressing fire, deploys protective shields, and launches orbs of dark magic to debuff opponents. His Ultimate Ability, however, triggers a full transformation into a demonic form that evokes strong imagery from Chainsaw Man. In this state, The Hood becomes a walking arsenal, appearing as a fully-realized Gun Demon capable of overwhelming enemy defenses.
This visual parallel has led to speculation that developer NetEase is paying homage to the popular Chainsaw Man series. While The Hood's demonic form is visually striking, it is not presented as being as overwhelmingly powerful as the Gun Devil from the manga, which was depicted as a near-unstoppable force of destruction with immense range and a deadly, selective attack pattern.
In addition to the new hero, Marvel Rivals is launching its Summer Festival event on August 13. This event will introduce a new collection of swimsuit-themed costumes and cosmetic items. The update for Season 9.5 also includes significant technical improvements, with a texture compression overhaul aimed at reducing the game's file size. PC players can expect the game to be up to 40GB smaller, while PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S users will see a reduction of around 15GB.