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Marvel Rivals’ latest Season 2.5 update has brought a lot of exciting new content, including new Heroes, Maps, and a teaser that fans have been waiting for, Blade. He made an appearance in the Empire Of Eternal Night: Central Park and Birnin T’Challa, serving as a hint that he will be coming soon. So, how will Blade fit into Marvel Rivals? In this piece, I will predict how he will impact gameplay based on leaks and lore.
Blade Leaked Kit and Abilities
Based on leaks, Blade will wield two different weapons. His primary weapon is a Dracula Sword, which is obviously a melee weapon, likely capable of dealing high burst damage. His secondary weapon is a Hunting Gun, providing some flexibility to handle threats at medium range.
Leaks have revealed the names of his skills:
- Primary 1: Blade Chopper
- Primary 2: Hunting Gun
- Ultimate: [Name Unknown]
- Shift: Step and Chop
- E: Blood Liberation
- Secondary: Damage Block
- Team-Up ability with Cloak & Dagger
Now, let’s take a look at his leaked skills before diving deeper into the analysis.
Blade Chopper
Use Dracula's Sword to slash in front of you, inflicting damage to the enemy hit. This is his basic melee attack, likely to work similarly to Magik's but with faster speed.
Hunting Gun
Use a hunting shotgun to fire a long-range explosive fragmentation round that delivers a large amount of shrapnel at the point of detonation. This is another one of his basic attacks, quickly switching from melee to ranged mode. The switching mechanic would be similar to how Punisher switches from his rifle to his shotgun.
Ultimate
After building up your strength for a short period of time, you quickly unsheathe your sword and charge forward, while releasing a powerful Chop and leaving Dracula's Sword frantically chopping the area behind you.
Step and Chop
Sprint forward, if wielding a gun, shoot an enemy and apply to reduce healing; if wielding a sword, slash an enemy and apply to reduce movement speed.
This is his bread-and-butter skill, allowing him to apply reduced healing, a unique effect that no other character currently has.
Blood Liberation
Activate vampiric bloodline, all blood becomes Dracula's blood, gain stronger senses, can't be healed at this time, but can restore Dracula's blood by inflicting damage. This is his vampiric form, enhancing his strengths.
Damage Block
Use Dracula's Sword to set up a sword stance that reduces damage from in front of you. A really great defensive skill that makes Blade even scarier when being aggressive. Could work similarly to Iron Fist's damage block.
Blade Gameplay Prediction
From what I can see, Blade is shaping up to be a unique hybrid between a diver and a survivor. Think of him as a mix between Magik and The Punisher, but with extra defensive capabilities. His ability to deflect attacks while maintaining high mobility and burst damage could make him incredibly difficult to deal with in the right hands.
What makes Blade particularly interesting is his flexibility. While he’s primarily built for close-range combat, his shotgun and defensive abilities ensure that he isn't completely helpless at medium range. This versatility could make him a solid pick in various team compositions, allowing him to adapt to different playstyles.
Looking at his skill set, he seems to be a strong duelist, capable of flanking or dealing burst damage alongside teammates. However, the most exciting part of his kit is his anti-healing skill. This could be a really great counter to stop healing-heavy enemies.
A lifesteal passive in this form would make perfect sense, reinforcing his survivability and offensive power. If done right, this could even make him a semi-Vanguard while flanking, allowing him to absorb damage and sustain himself as he takes down enemies.
His Ultimate will be a heavy-hitting, damage-dealing skill that is perfect to be paired with initiator heroes like Groot's ultimate.
Best Team Compositions for Blade
Based on his predicted playstyle, Blade will thrive in teams with long-range Strategists who can buff his damage. Mantis is an ideal support for him, as they can enhance his burst potential while he flanks.
Leaks have revealed that Blade will possibly have a Team-Up with Cloak & Dagger, making them a perfect match to play together.
From a lore perspective, Blade might have a Team-Up ability with Doctor Strange, as they are both members of the Midnight Sons. In the future, Ghost Rider could also be introduced, possibly featuring a synergy with Blade. Doctor Strange can also do an ultimate combo with Blade.
Additionally, Blade would pair well with Vanguards like The Thing or Thor, who can draw enemy attention while he sneaks into the backline to unleash deadly attacks.
When Will Blade Release in Marvel Rivals?
So, when will Blade be released in Marvel Rivals? That’s the big question, isn’t it?
At the start of Season 2, Blade was seen hilariously taking a rest in Wakanda, a fun little easter egg that caught the attention of many players. But after the latest June 19th update, Blade is no longer lying in bed. He’s up, he rises!
However, Blade is still nowhere to be found as a playable character. Could this be a sign that he’ll appear in Season 3? It seems that it is the case. Thanks to a shocking revelation in a recent Twitch Blog post, Phoenix and Blade will be the new characters in Season 3.
With Season 2.5’s lore strongly hinting at Phoenix, it’s very likely that she will be the first character to be introduced. This means that Blade will likely be introduced in Season 3.5. Based on the timeline, Season 3.5 is expected to release on August 11, 2025.
That concludes everything we know so far about Blade in Marvel Rivals. Are you excited about his addition? We sure can’t wait!
