- Game
- Marvel Rivals (free-to-play 6v6 hero shooter)
- Hero
- Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)
- Release date
- Friday, November 13, 2026 (UTC), with the launch of Season 11: Doomsday
- Release time
- Not announced; the last four season updates began at 09:00 UTC
- Role
- Strategist
- Ability names and team-ups
- Not published by NetEase; the Ultimate is reported as Phasing Finale
- Voice actor
- Not named by NetEase; Matthew Mercer, per Insider Gaming
- Platforms
- PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, marvelrivals.com), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S
- Developer and publisher
- NetEase Games, with Marvel Games
- Source
- NetEase's trailer, Dev Vision Vol. 23 and Bluesky posts (November 10, 2026) and patch notes; voice actor and Ultimate name reported by Insider Gaming
In Dev Vision Vol. 23, NetEase acknowledged that Season 10 drew criticism for adding only one hero, Gorr the God Butcher, and said new heroes every season will be its focus from now on. Nightcrawler's reveal trailer passed 1.5 million views on the official channel within 15 hours.
When is Nightcrawler coming out in Marvel Rivals?
Nightcrawler will join the roster on Friday, November 13, 2026 (UTC), the day Season 11: Doomsday starts in Marvel Rivals. The description of NetEase's Hope and Brimstone reveal trailer, posted November 10, reads "Available with the Season 11 launch on November 13 UTC", and the official Season 11 key art carries the same date: "Begins Nov 13, 2026 UTC".
In Dev Vision Vol. 23, NetEase says Nightcrawler and Dracula are Season 11's two new heroes, with Nightcrawler arriving in the first half of the season. The video gives no date for Dracula; VGC and Insider Gaming both expect him with the half-season update in December. Nightcrawler himself comes a season later than leaks suggested: they had him joining Season 10 alongside Gorr, and Insider Gaming reported he was likely pushed back while the Path to Doomsday events were finished. NetEase hasn't described him as delayed.
What time does Nightcrawler release?
NetEase hasn't posted a Season 11 start time yet, so the exact hour Nightcrawler drops is still open. The pattern is consistent, though: per NetEase's patch notes, Season 9, Season 9.5, Season 10 and Season 10.5 all began at 09:00 UTC with an estimated two hours of maintenance. Insider Gaming's own estimate is 3 AM PT (11:00 UTC), the end of that window.
| Region | Maintenance starts (our estimate, 09:00 UTC) | Servers back (our estimate, 11:00 UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| US Pacific (PT) | 1:00 AM, Nov 13 | 3:00 AM, Nov 13 |
| US Eastern (ET) | 4:00 AM, Nov 13 | 6:00 AM, Nov 13 |
| UK (GMT) | 9:00 AM, Nov 13 | 11:00 AM, Nov 13 |
| Central Europe (CET) | 10:00 AM, Nov 13 | 12:00 PM, Nov 13 |
| Japan (JST) | 6:00 PM, Nov 13 | 8:00 PM, Nov 13 |
| Sydney (AEDT) | 8:00 PM, Nov 13 | 10:00 PM, Nov 13 |
What class is Nightcrawler in Marvel Rivals?
Nightcrawler is a Strategist, the healer class. Dev Vision Vol. 23 introduces him as an all-new Strategist, and the official reveal art labels him "Strategist" above his name.
He's built as much around moving teammates as healing them: the trailer description says he "teleports in an instant to drag his team out of the dark and lead them straight to victory".
What are Nightcrawler's abilities?
NetEase hasn't published ability names, cooldowns or numbers yet. Per the English narration of Dev Vision Vol. 23 (our paraphrase):
- He can blink in and out of fights, using fencing attacks to hit enemies at close range.
- He throws brimstone bombs that heal teammates and damage enemies.
- He can teleport instantly to any ally's side.
- He can carry a teammate through the brimstone dimension, either pulling them out of danger or taking them straight into the fight.
His Ultimate teleports allies to a target location one by one, then pulls every enemy in the area to his position. Miller Ross, whose kit summary Insider Gaming quoted, names it Phasing Finale and adds that allies first get a damage boost, healing over time and bonus health, and that the enemy pull is a second cast inside a Smoke Domain left at the target spot. NetEase hasn't published that text itself.
Here's the 1:14 reveal trailer from NetEase's official channel:
Who voices Nightcrawler in Marvel Rivals?
Matthew Mercer, the Critical Role actor, according to Insider Gaming; Miller Ross posted the same casting on X. NetEase hasn't named a voice actor in the trailer description, Dev Vision Vol. 23 or its Bluesky posts, so treat it as reported until the game or NetEase credits him.
Is there a Nightcrawler skin?
Yes. Nightcrawler's first costume, Steadfast Swordsman, is available from November 13 UTC alongside The Hood's Astral Oblivion and Gambit's Versatile Valet, per the official Steadfast Swordsman post. NetEase says the design is inspired by Mutant X (1998) #10, and the art shows a pirate-style look with a red headband and a sword. Its price hasn't been announced.
Is Nightcrawler free?
Nightcrawler has no announced price, and NetEase's launch announcement in December 2024 said every hero would be "unlocked and free to play at launch and beyond". Marvel Rivals itself is free to play on every platform.
What we don't know yet
- Nightcrawler's official ability names, numbers and cooldowns.
- His Team-Up abilities: NetEase hasn't named any partners for him.
- Whether NetEase confirms Matthew Mercer as his English voice actor.
- The exact Season 11 start time and maintenance length.
- Dracula's release date.
The Season 11 balance post, published November 10, covers changes to existing heroes only, and no Season 11 patch notes were up on marvelrivals.com or Steam on the morning of November 11. NetEase has scheduled a creator livestream preview of Season 11 for November 11, 2 to 4 PM PT (10 PM to midnight UTC).
