Cyclops and Devil Dinosaur head to Nueva York when Season 8 drops on May 15.
Marvel Rivals is about to get a whole lot bigger, and players have just days to prepare.
NetEase Games dropped the official Season 8 trailer today, confirming what leaks had been teasing for weeks. Two brand new playable characters are joining the roster when the season goes live on May 15. The season is called Sins of Alchemax, and it is set in the futuristic city of Nueva York, where a sinister mega-corporation is pulling strings that nobody has fully unraveled yet.
The 2 new Marvel Rivals Season 8 heroes, confirmed
Hero 1: Cyclops. The leader of the X-Men is finally making his Marvel Rivals debut, and his arrival has been a long time coming. Cyclops was among the most requested additions to the game’s roster, and players who have been waiting on him will get their wish when Season 8 launches. Based on the trailer, he appears to be caught up in Alchemax’s schemes early in the story.
‼️CYCLOPS REVEALED TO BE COMING IN SEASON 8.5 OF MARVEL RIVALS pic.twitter.com/Cf60ladiUa
— Marvel Rivals Intel (@RivalsAssembled) May 12, 2026
Hero 2: Devil Dinosaur. This one carries a bit of history. Devil Dinosaur was quietly teased all the way back in Season 6, when observant players spotted a large red dinosaur locked inside a cage in the Museum of Contemplation map. That was the same season that introduced Deadpool and Elsa Bloodstone. Now the cage is open, and Devil Dinosaur is ready to join the fight. NetEase had even posted a cryptic social media message ahead of the reveal, describing a missing museum exhibit as a large, red creature that was friendly unless provoked.
The two make for an unexpected team. Cyclops is the composed, tactical leader of the X-Men. Devil Dinosaur is, as the name suggests, a giant prehistoric predator. But Marvel Rivals has always thrived on unlikely pairings.
What is happening in Season 8’s story?
Season 8 picks up directly after the conclusion of Season 7, which saw Mayor Fisk’s plans to imprison vigilantes in Nueva York come undone. The new threat is Alchemax, a powerful corporation whose headquarters is protected by a mysterious crimson material called Chronovium, described as being powered by a dimension of pure kinetic force. Uncovering exactly what Alchemax is hiding will drive the season forward.
In the trailer, both Moon Girl and Cyclops appear to be taken captive by Alchemax forces. Moon Girl is the longtime companion of Devil Dinosaur in the comics, and she shows up in both the trailer and the Season 8 cover art, suggesting she will have a meaningful presence in the season’s story even without being a playable character. Devil Dinosaur, meanwhile, looks like the one coming to the rescue.
When are the 2 new characters actually available?
The two heroes are not arriving at the same time. Devil Dinosaur launches with the Season 8 update on May 15. Cyclops is expected to arrive with the mid-season patch, so players who are most excited about the X-Men leader will have to wait a bit longer. In the meantime, Season 8 brings a new Battle Pass, fresh cosmetics, and seasonal events on day one.
As for where Devil Dinosaur fits in the game’s team structure, the Vanguard role seems like the most natural match. Season 7 added White Fox as a Strategist and Black Cat as a Duelist, and a Vanguard addition would round out the trio of roles nicely. A giant red dinosaur charging into the front line sounds about right.
Marvel Rivals Season 8 launches May 15, 2026 on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.