A hazard for flyers and back-row foes
NetEase just outlined what’s coming to Marvel Rivals season 8.5, and headlining the midseason update is Cyclops. He looks awful — for anyone going up against him, that is.
Cyclops is a Duelist who relies on his visor beams for precision shots, but he’s not just a Hawkeye redo. One of Cyclops’ abilities lets him fire a scattershot beam that bounces between nearby characters and takes a big chunk out of their health bars. That one has two charges, so there’s quite a lot of room to sprinkle it in judiciously among your standard attacks. He’s also got a mobility skill, where he fires a laser blast and flies backward quickly, which seems like the perfect setup for some quick dives and retreats — a bit like Elsa, but less unkillable since Cyclops gets no overhealth. The mobility skill has a long cooldown, though, so overeager Cyclops players won’t last long. Despite how strong his abilities are, he’s looking like a pretty well-rounded hero.
Then there’s his ultimate. If you’ve played Overwatch, you’ll probably recognize it’s rather similar to Vendetta’s ultimate. Cyclops charges a beam of light, then fires it in a straight line in front of him and up into the air. It explodes after a second and deals hefty damage to any character or object (like Groot’s walls). The move might be a little close to copying Overwatch‘s homework again, but it’s kind of a big deal for Rivals. Most characters’ ultimates are localized, and flying characters can escape them pretty easily — even Iron Man’s powerful pulse burst. Not so with Cyclops, though. Flyers beware.
Also new to Marvel Rivals 8.5 is the K’un-Lun: Shenloong Arena map and a big 18v18 mode called Bounty Annihilation. There’s a new seasonal event featuring swimsuit costumes for a select lineup of characters and a Hellfire Bay Beach social spot like Times Square, only summer-themed. From June 12-26, NetEase is opening the 616 vault and bringing back costumes that ran in events from July through September 2025, including the last round of swimsuits.
Marvel Rivals 8.5 goes live on June 12.
