Marvel Rivals announces tournament updates for MRC Season 2

The latest Marvel Rivals Season 2 patch notes detail extensive changes to the esports scene, including new features and format changes coming with the upcoming Marvel Rivals Championships (MRC).

From additional regions to a new faction system, these changes are set to take place once Season 2 launches on April 11th, 2025. Here are all the changes announced in the latest patch notes and how they could affect the Marvel Rivals esports scene.

NetEase announced the MRC changes on X on April 8th, 2025 alongside news of a two to three-hour-long maintenance to prepare for the upcoming season.

Alongside updates to ranked playlists and general quality of life updates for PC and console, various tournament changes were detailed in the recent patch notes.

Registration for Marvel Rivals Season 2 MRC has been adjusted, including rank requirement changes and a new sign-up process.

The most drastic change comes with the regions. Previously, MRC encompassed North America, Europe and Asia.

The new format now includes the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and the Pacific. This will make classifying countries easier and allow for simpler server organisation, which should result in better performance during tournaments.

New faction features will also debut in Season 2, taking effect during the Knockout Stages. There are now recruit and searching systems, making it easier for factions and players to form a squad ahead of any in-game tournaments. A new report system will also provide factions with a way to flag inappropriate content.

Learning about the MRC is also much easier in Season 2, making it less daunting for players who decided to skip out last season. The Overview page is more easily accessible and provides greater detail over processes and specific rules across the different formats.

Features previously exclusive to MRC have now been extended to custom games. Players can now set up a tournament room, alongside a pause function initiated by hosts and an ‘Away’ feature has been added.

MRC Season 1 saw more than 500 teams participate in each region, though only a select few emerged victorious, such as Sentinels for NA PC. Additionally, teams with no esports experience prevailed against established teams in regions such as Asia console.

The upcoming changes are indicative of the fact that NetEase is looking to expand its Marvel Rivals esports ecosystem. The streamlined categorisation of countries means fewer technical issues, encouraging more teams — professional and casual — to participate.

More teams could result in more varied competition, with newer players able to challenge established top-tier teams, such as Invitational winners 100-Thieves and Virtus.pro.

With Season 2 around the corner, we won’t have to wait long to see how the esports scene shapes up in light of these fundamental changes — we anticipate it to be bigger and better than before.