Marvel Rivals drops amazing mashup game mode, here’s when you can play it

Marvel Rivals Season 2 has added a plethora of new content to the game, including Emma Frost, a psychic-powered Vanguard, as well as the magnificent Krakoa map and a meta-shifting balancing patch that boosted characters such as Hulk and Groot.

Furthermore, it also introduced new game modes like the Giant-Size Brain Blast mode that brought chaotic fun with characters donning comically enormous heads and altered hitboxes to facilitate headshots. Players were also rewarded with a Brain Blast emote after 10 matches and exclusive titles such as Planet-Sized-Brain for top leaderboard positions.

Now NetEase Games is doubling down with the Giant-Size Hive Mind mode, which will be released with the next Rivals update and will be a mashup of the iconic Season 1 game mode and the most recent offering. Here’s when you can play the limited-time mode.

Marvel Rivals Giant-Size Hive Mind game mode release date and schedule

Marvel Rivals’ Giant-Size Hive Mind game mode will release on May 9, 2025, at 9 a.m. UTC, and is a limited-time, chaotic party mode that combines the big-head dynamics of Giant-Size Brain Blast with Season 1’s Clone Rumble. NetEase Games announced on the official Marvel Rivals X account that this 6v6 team deathmatch mode will be contested on the Ninomaru: Tokyo 2099 map, with teams aiming for 50 eliminations to win.

The larger heads increase hitbox sizes, which advantages precise heroes like Hawkeye, yet randomized hero selection and cloned individuals produce surprise, strategy-light action. The “honk” sound effect adds laughter to kills, and battles run approximately four minutes. However, participants will be randomly assigned one of two heroes, and only that hero will be multiplied during games, resulting in all members on a team being the same hero. This can also be used in a one-on-one composition.

Here are the dates when the mode will be available to play:

• Round 1: 2025/05/09 09:00:00 ~ 2025/05/12 09:00:00 (UTC)
• Round 2: 2025/05/16 09:00:00 ~ 2025/05/19 09:00:00 (UTC)

Players can acquire a Brain Blast emote by finishing 10 matches, which are assignable to one hero and require careful selection. Leaderboards assess character performance, awarding titles such as “Giant-Sized-Brain [Hero]” to the top 500, top 100, and top 10 players worldwide, with awards delivered at the end of each round. Round 2 provides new leaderboards and resets the competition.