Emma Frost is getting yet another costume in Marvel Rivals, and the community reaction is, predictably, a mix of cautious optimism and exasperated sighing. The new skin is part of the "New Marauders" set dropping on February 20th, 2026, during the Season 6.5 mid-season update. It arrives alongside a companion Iron Man skin in the same theme, and a Deadpool Marauders skin that launched earlier. The costume is classified as an Epic-tier skin and carries a sci-fi pirate aesthetic that blends futuristic tech elements with swashbuckling flair.
Quick answer: Emma Frost's New Marauders skin goes live on February 20th, 2026, as part of the Marvel Rivals Season 6.5 roadmap. It's an Epic-rarity costume featuring a space pirate theme with a trench coat worn cape-style over her shoulders.
What the New Marauders skin looks like
The costume trades Emma's usual coattails for a full-length trench coat draped over her shoulders like a cape — a first for the character in Marvel Rivals. She also sports a scouter-style eyepiece (yes, the Dragon Ball kind), pirate-inspired ruffled elements, and knee-high boots with violet-toned tech accents. The hair has been widely praised as one of the better styling choices for Emma in the game so far. The overall silhouette is noticeably different from her previous skins, which have largely shared the same leotard-with-sleeves template.
The Iron Man version of the Marauders skin leans heavily into a swashbuckler look, ditching his armor entirely for what many players have described as a "Johnny Depp as Tony Stark" aesthetic — complete with a wide-brimmed hat and flowing coat. It's a Legendary-tier skin, one rarity step above Emma's Epic.
The space pirate theme and its comic roots
The Marauders are an actual team in Marvel Comics, most recently associated with the Krakoa era, where characters like Emma Frost, Kate Pryde, and others operated as mutant pirates aboard a ship called the Marauder. The comic version had a nautical pirate vibe, but Marvel Rivals has pushed the concept further into sci-fi territory, adding futuristic tech overlays to the pirate foundation. This "space pirate" interpretation explains the scouter eyepiece and the glowing tech elements on Emma's boots and accessories.
That fusion is one of the skin's most divisive aspects. Many players feel the tech components — particularly the bright violet jewel tones on the boots and the pink eyepiece — clash with the darker, more subdued pirate elements of the outfit. The color palette mismatch has been a recurring criticism, with some noting that brass or metallic tones would have harmonized better with the rustic pirate look.
The ongoing pants debate
If there's one thing that unites Emma Frost fans in Marvel Rivals, it's the persistent request for a skin that puts her in pants. Every costume released for the character so far — the default, Hellfire Protocol, Queen of Diamonds, X-Revolution, Phoenix Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Golden Diamond, and Will of Galacta — features some variation of a leotard or bodysuit as the base layer. The New Marauders skin continues this tradition.
The frustration isn't necessarily about the character being sexualized. Emma Frost has a long history of revealing outfits in the comics, and many fans accept that as part of her identity. The issue is variety. Every skin follows the same formula, and players have been vocal about wanting at least one option that breaks the mold — whether that's a pantsuit as the one Jean Grey received, or something inspired by Emma's wedding outfit from the Rogue and Gambit ceremony in the comics, which featured a tailored look with actual trousers.
The trench coat cape is seen as a step in the right direction for silhouette diversity, but it also highlights the contradiction. NetEase clearly has the technical ability to add coats, capes, and flowing garments to character models — Thor's skins regularly feature capes despite his base model not having one, and the Twilight Duo skin for Cloak and Dagger replaced Cloak's signature cloak with an overcoat. The argument that character silhouettes need to remain consistent hasn't held up since the early seasons.
Every Emma Frost costume in Marvel Rivals
| Costume | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Default | Common |
| Blue Sapphire | Rare |
| Golden Diamond | Rare |
| Will of Galacta | Rare |
| X-Revolution | Epic |
| Phoenix Diamond | Epic |
| Queen of Diamonds | Epic |
| New Marauders (upcoming) | Epic |
| Hellfire Protocol | Legendary |
With the New Marauders addition, Emma will have nine total costumes. Despite the volume, community sentiment has been consistently critical of the design quality, with many players describing the skins as visually cluttered or too similar to one another in their base silhouette.
What else is coming in the Season 6.5 roadmap
The New Marauders skins for Emma Frost and Iron Man are just one part of a packed Season 6.5 schedule. The same February 20th window also launches the Monster King Fan Championship tournament (running February 21st–22nd) and two new events called Twisted Nightmare and Faulty Dream.
Later in the season, Psylocke receives her own New Marauders costume on March 6th, while Moon Knight and Captain America get Twisted Nightmare skins on February 27th and March 6th, respectively. Phoenix picks up a Quiet Council of Krakoa costume on February 27th, and the season wraps with The Thing's Fear Itself skin and a Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 tie-in costume for Daredevil on March 13th. Season 7.0 is teased for around March 20th.
Community wishlist and what might come next
The most requested Emma Frost skin remains her white pantsuit from the Rogue and Gambit wedding in the comics — a tailored, elegant look that fans argue captures her "fashion queen" identity far better than any of her current in-game options. There's also significant interest in a comic-accurate Hellfire Gala outfit, particularly her 2023 Gala look.
Some players have noted that the Queen of Diamonds skin already appears to draw inspiration from one of Emma's Gala looks, raising concerns that NetEase may be repurposing comic designs into original interpretations rather than delivering faithful adaptations. Whether a proper Gala skin arrives in a future season remains unconfirmed.
The New Marauders skin isn't going to end the debate around Emma Frost's cosmetics in Marvel Rivals. But the shift in silhouette — the coat, the different hair, the removal of the signature coattails — suggests the development team is at least listening to feedback, even if the leotard remains firmly in place.