Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 shrinks the game’s file size on PC and consoles

Marvel Rivals’ Season 9.5 update, out on August 7, will cut the game’s install size by roughly 40GB on PC and 15GB on PlayStation and Xbox. NetEase detailed the change in Dev Vision Vol. 20, and it is the first update in recent memory built around giving players hard drive space back, as Shacknews reports.

The game had been growing with every content drop since its 2024 launch. Player reports put the PC install past 100GB by mid-2026, with the PlayStation and Xbox builds sitting somewhere around 60–70GB.

Why the download is bigger but the install is smaller

There is a catch. Because Season 9.5 repackages the game’s existing assets, the initial download will be larger than usual. NetEase says the installed game then ends up smaller overall — a storage optimisation pass that recompresses what is already on the drive.

Creative director Guangguang said no visual fidelity compromises were made to hit the lower footprint — the reduction comes from compressing the game’s assets, not cutting them.

Marvel Rivals Season 9.5: what else changes

The half-season also adds The Hood to the roster, joining as a Vanguard, alongside the usual balance pass and new skins. It lands in a busy stretch for Marvel games: Marvel’s Wolverine is due on PS5 in September, and last month’s Marvel Tokon roster leak pointed to a 20-character fighting lineup.

Marvel Rivals remains free-to-play on Steam, the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S — UAE storefronts included — and the update drops worldwide at the same time on August 7.