The arrival of Phoenix (also known as Jean Grey) in Marvel Rivals not only sees a powerful new DPS burn the meta to the ground, but also kicks off the faster pace going forward. From now on, we'll see a new character every single month, and there's no better way to start than with Phoenix, one of the most anticipated characters since she was leaked a while back.
Phoenix is the 40th Marvel Rivals character, an incredible feat considering the game isn't even a year old yet—and hopefully one that doesn't backfire and become a balancing nightmare. I dread picturing how gargantuan our Marvel Rivals tier list will be by this time next year.
Marvel Rivals Phoenix release date
As the first hero coming in Marvel Rivals Season 3: The Abyss Awakens, Phoenix is available on Friday, July 11, 2025, after server downtime—which starts at 2 am PDT / 5 am EST / 10 am BST—has finished. NetEase has confirmed it'll take two to three hours, so you won't be waiting too long. Alongside this fiery new hero will be a wave of new balance changes, which you can find out about in our Marvel Rivals Season 3 patch notes guide.
Marvel Rivals Phoenix abilities
Phoenix is a 275-health Duelist hero that plays similarly to Moon Knight, in that she excels at AoE damage. By setting enemies ablaze, she can cause chain reactions, which are perfect for softening up the enemy line. With fairly good mobility, moderate health, and even self-healing, Phoenix can be a very aggressive hero, flanking close-knit teams and lining up fiery chain reactions before getting to safety—if there's even anyone left alive.
Here are Phoenix's abilities, based on her character reveal trailer, though note that we don't know each ability's name yet:
Name/Type | Input | Description |
|---|---|---|
Primary Attack | Left click | A ranged, hitscan attack that deals moderate damage. Each hit adds a stack of flames to the target, which causes them to explode once at three stacks, dealing AoE damage. |
Dash | Shift | Dash in the chosen direction, leaving behind an explosion at your original position. |
Flight | E | Phoenix gains free flight for a short duration, letting her hover. This ability has a resource, meaning it can be used so long as the meter has enough charge. |
Cosmic Flame | Right click | Unleashes a volley of fiery blasts that deal AoE damage and apply fire stacks to the target on hit. |
Ultimate | Q | Phoenix leaps into the air and gains free flight, letting you aim a dive bomb attack that will deal massive AoE damage on hit, and apply fire stacks to targets that survive the blast. |
Primal Flame team-up ability | N/A (Wolverine gains the benefits) | Wolverine gains the Phoenix Force. When he activates Feral Leap, it will burn nearby enemies over time, and add lifesteal to all of his attacks. |
Best Marvel Rivals Phoenix team compositions
Phoenix looks to be a versatile enough hero to slot in basically anywhere, similar to Moon Knight, though there are still some teams she's better suited for, particularly due to her team-up with Wolverine. I highly suspect Wolverine will be the most banned hero in Season 3, or at least one of the most common bans, so you'll likely need to rely on different strategies.
Hero | Role |
|---|---|
Doctor Strange | Versatile tank, with strong mobility, high damage, and a shield |
Phoenix | High AoE damage Duelist to counter grouping |
Wolverine | Great for singling out enemy tanks, especially with the Primal Flame team-up |
Mantis | Versatile support, able to hand out healing over time and damage boosts to mobile DPS |
Adam Warlock | While his healing can be inconsistent, he brings lots of survivability to the team |
Rocket Raccoon/Invisible Woman | The main healer, with either option bringing a great deal of additional utility |
Hero | Role |
|---|---|
Doctor Strange | Versatile tank, with strong mobility, high damage, and a shield |
The Thing | A brawling tank, now with anti-flier capabilities |
Phoenix | High AoE damage Duelist to counter grouping |
Hawkeye | Incredible single-target damage and bonus utility thanks to Luna Snow |
Luna Snow | Fantastic burst healing, and can give her snowflake to Phoenix, as well as a powerful team-up for Hawkeye |
Invisible Woman | High burst healing and utility, alongside a strong team-up with The Thing |
Marvel Rivals Phoenix skins
None of Phoenix's costumes have been revealed yet, but so far, every new hero has been released with two recolours and one premium skin, so you can expect that to continue. Given the theme of Season 3—Phoenix Force vs symbiotes—it's possible she'll get a gross symbiote skin. It's also highly likely that Phoenix will get the Marvel Rivals ranked reward skin for the start of Season 3, as this was the case with Invisible Woman's launch at the start of Season 1, and Emma Frost at the start of Season 2.
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