Marvel Rivals fans have reason to celebrate as NetEase Games has officially revealed the patch notes for Season 2: Hellfire Gala, set to launch on April 11. This highly anticipated update brings a wealth of new content, including the debut of Emma Frost as a playable hero, the introduction of the Krakoa map, and significant changes to Competitive play.

New Hero and Map

Emma Frost, the White Queen of the Hellfire Club, makes her dazzling entrance as the newest Vanguard hero in Marvel Rivals. Players can look forward to mastering her psychic abilities and donning her stunning X-Revolution costume, a sleek black and gold outfit adorned with diamonds.

The Krakoa map, inspired by the mutant island nation, will join the Competitive map rotation, replacing Yggsgard: Royal Palace and Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya. This lush, vibrant battlefield promises to deliver thrilling Domination matches with its unique terrain and strategic opportunities.

Competitive Play Enhancements

One of the most requested features by the community is finally arriving: hero bans will now be available starting at Gold III rank, rather than Diamond. This change allows more players to experience the strategic depth of drafting in Competitive matches.

Additionally, the ranking system has been adjusted to place greater emphasis on individual performance when determining point gains and losses. This means skilled players will be rewarded more for their contributions, even in defeat.

New Skins and Free Rewards

Season 2 introduces a host of new cosmetics, including the King of Spartax outfit for Star-Lord and the Blue Sapphire costume for Emma Frost. These premium skins are expected to cost 1,600 Units each.

Free-to-earn skins are also plentiful this season. Players can unlock Scarlet Witch's Chaos Gown by completing nine matches, Namor's Will of Galacta through Twitch Drops, and Mantis' Flora Maiden via the Cerebro Database event.

Technical Improvements

PC players will benefit from a new experimental shader compilation mode that reduces memory usage and minimizes stuttering, particularly on systems with 16GB of RAM or less. AMD FSR 4 support has also been added for enhanced image quality on RX 9000 series graphics cards.

Console players gain more control over their experience with new deadzone sensitivity settings and improved controller customization options.

Bug Fixes and Balancing

Numerous hero-specific issues have been addressed, including:

• Captain America can now properly ricochet projectiles while moving backward
• Fixed abnormal camera angles after revival by Adam Warlock's Ultimate
• Resolved Namor's Ultimate failing to damage certain map objects
• Corrected Winter Soldier's Ultimate animation in poor network conditions

With these substantial updates and more, Marvel Rivals Season 2: Hellfire Gala promises to deliver an exciting new chapter for fans of NetEase's superhero shooter.