Marvel Rivals: three events kick off this August 13 — Krakoan Reels Vol. 2, Summer Snapshot and Pop & Win, the free-to-play guide

The 20260813 update for Marvel Rivals arrived on August 13 at 09:00 UTC, that is 11 a.m. in Paris, with no server downtime. It brings no balance changes — NetEase confirms this in its official patch notes — but it opens up three events all at once, running until September 24, well beyond the end of Season 9.5 on September 11.

On August 6, we published the full schedule of free cosmetics running from August 7 to September 11. This update extends and completes it: here's what's being added, and above all, what's actually free in the mix.

The three events of August 13

All three share the same window: August 13 → September 24, 2026.

• Krakoan Reels Vol. 2 — the return of the fishing mini-game. The featured skins are Black Cat — Coastal Cat, Winter Soldier — Summer Soldier, and Star-Lord — Star Swimmer.
• Summer Snapshot — a photo event. Beach spots are there to be photographed, and each shared photo earns 100 Units.
• Pop & Win — a discounted lottery covering two specific skins: Magik — Soul Surfer and Scarlet Witch — Seaside Sorceress.

The distinction matters, because the three don't share the same status at all. Summer Snapshot is the only one that earns currency without spending anything. Pop & Win is a lottery: it's a discount on a purchase, not a gift. As for Krakoan Reels Vol. 2, it follows the same model as Vol. 1, with a free track and a track reserved for members.

Krakoan Reels: what Vol. 1 tells us about Vol. 2

NetEase did not detail the economy of Vol. 2 in its patch notes. However, Vol. 1, which ran from June 18 to July 30, 2026, gives us solid reference points, and nothing suggests a change in formula:

• Progression runs through matches: 1,950 XP granted 1 Bait and 1 X-Bait.
• Bait unlocks the free rewards, X-Bait unlocks the member-only rewards.
• Fish Coins granted 2, 4, 8, 12, or 16 units depending on rarity, from common to legendary.
• The Fishery Club was priced at 990 Lattice, with the Fishing Expert title crowning the whole thing.

The practical takeaway is simple: your progression depends on accumulated XP, not on the number of matches won. So playing longer modes is better than piling up short matches that get abandoned. And if you're only aiming for the free track, there's no need to pay anything: the Bait drops regardless.

Summer Snapshot: the easiest 100 Units of the month

This is the best time-to-reward ratio in this update, and it requires no skill at all. The principle mirrors the group photo in front of the Avengers store in Times Square, which already granted 100 Units: you need to go to the beach photo spots and share the picture.

The advice is to do it early. These photo events are traditionally the first ones people forget about, because they don't show up in the usual gameplay loop. Five minutes is enough, and the Units come in handy everywhere afterward.

The shop: two windows not to be confused

The point that's tripping up the most players this week is the shop dates, which are not aligned with the event dates.

• Storm — Sacred Skies Bundle (with the Crimson Clouds chroma): available from August 13 to September 11, 09:00 UTC.
• Loki — Lady Loki Bundle: limited return, from August 13 to 28, 02:00 UTC. This is the shortest window of the update, and it's also the one containing the rarest content.

This last bundle deserves a closer look. NetEase has added brand new movement and combat animations for Lady Loki, applied by default to all of Lady Loki's costumes. An option lets you revert to the classic style if the new one doesn't suit you. So this is an addition that affects your character even outside the bundle, which is rare.

The rest of the catalog also arrives on August 13: Black Cat — Coastal Cat chromas (Pearl Paws and Golden Claws), Winter Soldier — Summer Soldier (Chill Current), Star-Lord — Star Swimmer (Stellar Splash), Aquatic Assassin ultimate VFX for Black Widow, as well as two emotes — Life is But a Dream for The Thing and Best Buddies for Devil Dinosaur.

Hero fixes worth knowing

So no balance changes, but several fixes affecting actual gameplay:

• Iron Fist: the abnormal movement during his ultimate has been fixed.
• Rogue: the text for her stolen abilities was displaying incorrectly in the UI; this has been repaired.
• Jeff the Land Shark: he now automatically switches to swimming animation in water areas.
• Emotes: several movement restrictions during emotes have been removed.
• Highlight subtitles have been added for Winter Soldier, in English and Chinese.

What order to tackle things in

If your playtime is limited before the end of the month, the logical order is as follows:

1. Summer Snapshot first, because it's free, quick, and funds the rest through Units.
2. Decide on Lady Loki before August 28: it's the only truly tight deadline in this update.
3. Krakoan Reels Vol. 2 in the background, since it progresses on its own as you play, and it runs until September 24.
4. Pop & Win last, and only if you already wanted one of the two costumes involved. A discounted lottery is still a lottery.

A word on vocabulary, finally. Marvel Rivals doesn't translate hero names, costume names, or event and currency names in its French client. That's why Krakoan Reels Vol. 2, Summer Snapshot, Pop & Win, Bait, X-Bait, Units, and Lattice remain as such here: these are indeed the labels you'll see on screen. Only the roles are localized — Vanguard, Duelist, and Strategist.