Marvel Rivals Season 9 rebuilds the Team-Up system from the ground up. The old anchor mechanic is gone, and instead of pairings that rotate in and out each season, every hero now carries two fixed Team-Up abilities that you choose from yourself. This is the largest change to how the game plays since launch, and it affects every character on the roster.
Quick answer: Each hero has two Team-Up abilities. Pick one in the hero menu before you queue, or swap it in the spawn room mid-match. You always get the base effect even if the partner is not on your team, and the enhanced effect turns on automatically the moment that partner is picked. Most Team-Ups activate with the C or X key; some are passive and apply on their own.
Base effect vs enhanced effect
The core rule to understand is that a Team-Up no longer needs its partner to function. When you equip a Team-Up, you immediately gain its base effect on the battlefield, whether or not the paired hero exists on your team. If that partner is picked, the same Team-Up upgrades into an enhanced version with extra properties layered on top.
The Punisher makes this easy to see. Equip Ammo Overload and you can already fire without reloading as the base effect, no Rocket Raccoon required. Add a Rocket Raccoon to your team and the enhanced effect kicks in automatically, pushing his damage higher than the solo version. Because of this, you should still coordinate picks with teammates when you want the stronger payoff, even though nothing forces you to.
Note: some Team-Ups are passive and never need a button press. Black Widow’s Burning Bullets and Allied Agents both apply the instant you spawn, so their effect is live throughout the match without any activation input.
How to equip and activate a Team-Up
C and X. Playing Jubilee, for example, you press C to fire the Team-Up you equipped, such as Vampiric Kin.
All Vanguard Team-Up abilities
Each of the 13 Vanguards carries two Team-Ups, for 26 in total. The table pairs the ability name with the two heroes tied to it.
| Team-Up | Hero pairing |
|---|---|
| Savage Slam | Hulk x Captain America |
| Gamma Fastball | Hulk x Wolverine |
| Gamma Maelstrom | Doctor Strange x Hulk |
| Psionic Vortex | Doctor Strange x Invisible Woman |
| Stars Aligned | Captain America x Winter Soldier |
| Voltaic Union | Captain America x Thor |
| Wild Wall | Groot x Mantis |
| Bubble Buddies | Groot x Jeff the Land Shark |
| Blood Leech | Venom x Blade |
| Abyssal Flames | Venom x Phoenix |
| Magnetic Resonance | Magneto x Emma Frost |
| Metallic Chaos | Magneto x Scarlet Witch |
| Ragnarok Rebirth | Thor x Hela |
| Divine Armory | Thor x Angela |
| Vibranium Mech | Peni Parker x Black Panther |
| Rocket Network | Peni Parker x Rocket Raccoon |
| Two-In-One | The Thing x Human Torch |
| Unbreakable Forces | The Thing x Invisible Woman |
| Iced Out Diamond | Emma Frost x Luna Snow |
| Spirit Breaker | Emma Frost x Mantis |
| Asgardians of the Galaxy | Angela x Star-Lord |
| Odin’s Unacknowledged | Angela x Loki |
| Explosive Entanglement | Rogue x Magneto |
| Mr. & Mrs. X | Rogue x Gambit |
| Primal Punishment | Devil Dinosaur x Punisher |
| Surf & Turf | Devil Dinosaur x Jeff the Land Shark |
All Duelist Team-Up abilities
With 27 Duelists in the game, there are 54 Duelist Team-Ups to work through.
| Team-Up | Hero pairing |
|---|---|
| Bestial Hunt | The Punisher x Daredevil |
| Ammo Overload | The Punisher x Rocket Raccoon |
| Gods of Thunder | Storm x Thor |
| Jaws of Fate | Storm x Jeff the Land Shark |
| Fiery Sparks | Human Torch x Jubilee |
| Storming Ignition | Human Torch x Storm |
| Moonlit Slash | Hawkeye x Cloak & Dagger |
| Senbonzakura Strike | Hawkeye x Psylocke |
| Deep Wrath | Hela x Namor |
| Hel Tendrils | Hela x Venom |
| Dimensional Shortcut | Black Panther x Magik |
| Damisa-Yao | Black Panther x Storm |
| Void Pentagram | Magik x The Hood |
| Chain of Cyttorak | Magik x Doctor Strange |
| Luminous Moon | Moon Knight x Cloak & Dagger |
| Blood Moon | Moon Knight x Elsa Bloodstone |
| Squirrel Missile | Squirrel Girl x Iron Man |
| ESU Alumnus | Squirrel Girl x Spider-Man |
| Burning Bullets | Black Widow x Phoenix |
| Allied Agents | Black Widow x Hawkeye |
| Gamma Charge | Iron Man x Hulk |
| Thunder Overdrive | Iron Man x Thor |
| Symbiote Bond | Spider-Man x Venom |
| Parker Power-Up | Spider-Man x Peni Parker |
| Hex Fireworks | Scarlet Witch x Jubilee |
| Sorcerers Supreme | Scarlet Witch x Doctor Strange |
| Expert Instinct | Winter Soldier x Elsa Bloodstone |
| Timeless Veterans | Winter Soldier x The Punisher |
| Flora Munitions | Star-Lord x Groot |
| Star-Soul | Star-Lord x Adam Warlock |
| Bleed For Battle | Blade x Captain America |
| Blade of Khonshu | Blade x Moon Knight |
| Light & Dark Darts | Psylocke x Cloak & Dagger |
| Mental Projection | Psylocke x Emma Frost |
| Pair of Threes | Wolverine x Gambit |
| Blast Slash | Wolverine x Cyclops |
| Kumiho Palm | Iron Fist x White Fox |
| Iron & Stone | Iron Fist x The Thing |
| Circle of Life | Phoenix x Hela |
| Telekinetic Beatdown | Phoenix x Rogue |
| Comprehensive Defense | Daredevil x Iron Fist |
| Devilish Affair | Daredevil x Black Widow |
| Gumbo Chimichangas | Deadpool x Gambit |
| Hel-Yeah, Honey | Deadpool x Hela |
| Prehistoric Trap | Elsa Bloodstone x Devil Dinosaur |
| Loudmouth Mercs | Elsa Bloodstone x Deadpool |
| Binding Ties | Black Cat x Spider-Man |
| Feline Alliance | Black Cat x Black Panther |
| Kinetic Kin | Cyclops x Gambit |
| Slim & Red | Cyclops x Phoenix |
| Chilling Charisma | Namor x Luna Snow |
| Gamma Monstro | Namor x Hulk |
| Fantastic Amplifier | Mister Fantastic x Rocket Raccoon |
| Clobberin’ Research Dept. | Mister Fantastic x The Thing |
All Strategist Team-Up abilities
The 12 Strategists share 24 Team-Ups, including the new hero Jubilee’s support options.
| Team-Up | Hero pairing |
|---|---|
| Frozen Haven | Cloak & Dagger x Luna Snow |
| Oblivion Shroud | Cloak & Dagger x The Hood |
| Vibrant Vitality | Loki x Mantis |
| Villain’s Illusion | Loki x Hela |
| Vitality Pact | Mantis x Adam Warlock |
| Star Blossom | Mantis x Star-Lord |
| Planet X Pals | Rocket Raccoon x Groot |
| Mammalian Bond | Rocket Raccoon x Squirrel Girl |
| SP//DR Sync | Ultron x Peni Parker |
| Stark Protocol | Ultron x Iron Man |
| Atlas Bond | Luna Snow x White Fox |
| Duality Dance | Luna Snow x Adam Warlock |
| Cosmic Cyclone | Adam Warlock x Storm |
| Flawless Design | Adam Warlock x Ultron |
| Guardian of the Deep | Jeff the Land Shark x Venom |
| Mr. Pool’s Interdimensional Toy Box | Jeff the Land Shark x Deadpool |
| United Siblings | Invisible Woman x Human Torch |
| First Family | Invisible Woman x Mister Fantastic |
| Sparkling Staff | Gambit x Jubilee |
| Favorable Odds | Gambit x Magneto |
| Lucky Loan | White Fox x Black Cat |
| Psionic Fox | White Fox x Psylocke |
| Vampiric Kin | Jubilee x Blade |
| Hellfire Sparks | Jubilee x The Hood |
How enhanced effects change key Team-Ups
The gap between a base and enhanced Team-Up is often large, which is why coordinating the partner pick still matters. A few examples show how much the upgrade adds.
| Team-Up | Base effect | Enhanced effect (partner present) |
|---|---|---|
| Voltaic Union (Cap x Thor) | Sentinel Strike becomes a Lightning Shield projectile; after two hits it fires four piercing shields. | Each Lightning Shield hit triggers an extra burst of area damage. |
| Ragnarok Rebirth (Thor x Hela) | Fatal damage gives Thor a decaying Bonus Health pool; joining a K.O. revives him. | If Thor or Hela joins any K.O., Thor instantly revives with Continuous Healing. |
| Gamma Fastball (Hulk x Wolverine) | Hulk enters a Furious state with Speed and Attack Speed, plus Unstoppable at low health. | Unlocks the Fastball Special, letting Hulk hurl Wolverine forward. |
| Abyssal Flames (Venom x Phoenix) | Replaces the primary attack with a sweeping Avian Claw slash. | Every Avian Claw applies a Spark; three stacks detonate. |
| Rocket Network (Peni x Rocket) | Deploys an Armored Spider-Nest dropping drones and Armor Packs. | The nest self-heals and Rocket’s B.R.B. spawns Cyber-Webs, drones and mines. |
Strong Team-Up picks by role
With over 100 options live, a handful stand out as high-impact choices in the current meta.
- Vanguard: Ragnarok Rebirth (Thor x Hela), Metallic Chaos (Magneto x Scarlet Witch), Rocket Network (Peni Parker x Rocket Raccoon), Blood Leech (Venom x Blade).
- Duelist: Ammo Overload (The Punisher x Rocket Raccoon), Thunder Overdrive (Iron Man x Thor), Expert Instinct (Winter Soldier x Elsa Bloodstone), Symbiote Bond (Spider-Man x Venom).
- Strategist: Frozen Haven (Cloak & Dagger x Luna Snow), Mr. Pool’s Interdimensional Toy Box (Jeff the Land Shark x Deadpool), Villain’s Illusion (Loki x Hela).
No more rotation, only balance changes
The other structural shift is that Team-Ups no longer swap in and out between seasons. Lead combat designer Zhiyong has confirmed that the abilities now stay in the game permanently and instead receive buffs or nerfs each season as they are monitored. Character balance was already adjusted at launch to account for the new synergies.
Every future hero will arrive with two Team-Up loadouts of their own. The Hood is set to debut in the Season 9.5 mid-season update, and one of his Team-Ups, Hellfire Sparks with Jubilee, is already visible in the game. That brings the current total to 104 Team-Up abilities, and the number will keep growing as new heroes join. For now, the priority is learning which of your two options fits each match and remembering that you can switch between them in the spawn room whenever the situation changes.
