Marvel Rivals adds The Hood in Season 9.5

Marvel Rivals is adding The Hood as its next playable villain when Season 9.5 launches on August 7. The new Vanguard combines dual pistols, dark magic and a demonic transformation that turns his face into a gun.

Parker Robbins can switch between human and demon forms during battle. His abilities let him attack from range while protecting teammates, giving players a different kind of frontline character.

The Hood fires two pistols continuously at enemies. His ranged weapons make him different from Vanguards who rely mainly on close combat or traditional shields.

His magical cloak lets him create protective barriers around allies. He can also launch dark orbs that turn into shields and reduce the power of incoming enemy fire. Players will need to balance his gunfire, barriers and demonic abilities instead of simply absorbing damage for the team.

The Hood’s Ultimate is called Full Demon State. Activating it transforms Parker into a creature known as the Gun Demon.

His face becomes a large firearm that shoots powerful piercing rounds. The shots can pass through enemy shields and hit opponents standing behind them.

The transformation also gives nearby teammates extra health. This makes the Ultimate useful for breaking defensive positions while helping allies move forward.

Parker Robbins began as a small-time criminal before stealing an enchanted cloak. Its power gave him supernatural abilities and helped him rise through New York’s criminal underworld.

Marvel Rivals keeps that mix of gunplay and magic. His design includes the character’s familiar pistols and red cloak while giving his demonic side a much bigger role. WWE wrestler Damian Priest, whose real name is Luis Berrios, provides The Hood’s voice.

The Hood becomes playable when Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 launches on August 7. The update continues Season 9: The Mystery of Thebes and adds balance changes for several existing characters.

NetEase will follow the update with the second part of the Summer Festival on August 13. A new compression system will also reduce the game’s storage size on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.