The roster of Marvel Rivals expands with the arrival of The Hood, a new gunner Vanguard designed to handle both frontline poke and aggressive close-range engagements. Arriving with the Season 9.5 update on August 7, 2026, the character brings a distinct resource-based kit built around accumulating demonic energy.
Quick Facts
- Character: The Hood
- Role: Gunner Vanguard
- Release Date: Season 9.5 on August 7, 2026
- Team-Up Partners: Scarlet Witch and Moon Knight
The Hood Abilities and Demonic Energy Mechanic
The core of The Hood's playstyle revolves around the Ruinous Pact passive. Landing normal attacks with Accursed Pistols, absorbing incoming attacks with the Mantle of Oblivion shield, or using Void Walk builds Demonic Energy. Accursed Pistol shots grant two energy per hit, while Void Walk and Mantle of Oblivion grant around 20 energy depending on blocked attacks.
Reaching 100 Demonic Energy automatically triggers the Half-Demon State for eight seconds. Here is the full breakdown of his active abilities, passives, and ultimate:
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Accursed Pistols (Normal Attack) | Shoot forward dual-wielded pistols. Gain increased Attack Speed when Demonic Energy exceeds 50 percent. |
| Leaded Transformation (Half-Demon State Attack) | Transforms arms into demonic rifles with increased attack speed and infinite ammo. Every bullet that strikes an enemy triggers Lifesteal. |
| Demon of the End (Ultimate) | Enters Full Demon State as a stationary turret, firing up to six high-powered piercing shots while granting Bonus Health to self and nearby allies. |
| Void Walk | Enters the Void for free-flight, granting a decaying movement boost and damaging surrounding enemies upon reappearing. |
| Abyssal Veil | Throws a dark magic sphere that generates a Veil. Enhances player shots passing through and reduces damage and healing output of enemy projectiles passing through. Enemies passing through take damage and are Blinded. |
| Mantle of Oblivion | Spreads a cloak to form a spherical barrier that blocks incoming attacks. Expands in radius when Demonic Energy exceeds 50 percent. |
| Ruinous Pact (Passive) | Accumulates Demonic Energy from attacks, shields, and movement abilities to trigger the Half-Demon State at full charge. |
Players can cast the Ultimate, Demon of the End, mid-air by combining it with Void Walk to create a temporary platform for the turret.
The Hood Team-Up Abilities
The Hood features two distinct Team-Up synergies with existing roster members:
- Chaos Collision (Scarlet Witch): Creates an arcane zone that damages enemies and applies stacking damage and healing reduction. Reactivating the ability teleports the player to the zone's center. The enhanced version triggers a magical shockwave after teleporting that deals damage and pulls enemies toward The Hood.
- New Moon's Shadow (Moon Knight): Enhances Abyssal Veil into a Lunar Barrier that blocks projectiles and detonates upon breaking. The enhanced version increases shield value and grants a bounce effect to attacks passing through the barrier.