It’s 2026, and I’m still logging into Marvel Rivals every week like a person who made a deal with NetEase and never read the fine print. The game has evolved in wild ways—we’ve got heroes I never expected, balance patches that make Loki mains weep, and throwback events that dredge up the past for a fresh dose of FOMO. One of those rewind moments has me chasing a prize I missed the first time around: Groot’s Carved Traveler skin. Yes, the wooden wanderer is back on the menu, tied to a revamped version of the Midnight Features event, and I’m here to walk you through the beautiful, bark-covered chaos.

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This whole thing originally dropped in early 2025 as part of Midnight Features Part 2, but NetEase decided 2026’s anniversary season was the perfect time to resurrect those tasks—with a few modern twists, naturally. The core loop remains deliciously simple: complete chapters of stylized newspaper missions from the Event tab, collect gallery cards, and claim that bark-marvelous skin. The missions are set up so you almost never feel trapped; most of the time you’re picking between two tasks per slot. Hate playing Human Torch? No problem, you can stomp around with The Thing instead. Back in ’25 these two were shiny new additions, but now they’re just part of the overstuffed roster we all love to hate.

🗞️ The Midnight Features Grind (2026 Edition)

Here’s the deal: Midnight Features Part 2 throws four main chapters at you, with a mysterious Chapter 5 that stays locked for the first week—just to keep dataminers on their toes. The objectives are a mixed bag of “effortlessly chill” and “why-is-my-aim-this-bad”:

  • Trivial stuff like reading a lore page (NetEase knows we skip all the text, so they bribe us).

  • Ability-specific missions where you need to land certain skills with a generous pool of qualifying heroes.

  • Staggered chapter reveals to stop you from blitzing everything in one caffeine-fueled night.

I personally float through these tasks by rotating my comfort picks rather than sweating every objective. It’s a marathon, not a sprint—unless you’re a Groot one-trick, in which case you’ve been sprinting since 2024.

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Once you polish off all four main chapters, the Carved Traveler skin doesn’t just plop into your inventory. You have to grab it from the Mail section in the top-right corner of the screen, which feels oddly nostalgic, like opening a letter from a tree. The skin itself isn’t a full-body rework on par with the premium battle pass offerings—it’s more of a carved-wood vibe that makes Groot look like a walking folk-art project. But if you’re someone who zones out by playing the gentle giant, the aesthetic is chef’s kiss.

🌳 What Else Is in This Time Capsule?

The event teases more than just arboreal fashion. The gallery cards you earn along the way are basically Marvel Rivals’ version of a comic book trailer. Back in 2025, one of those cards gave us a big, toothy hint at Blade—and yes, by 2026 we’re all being haunted by the daywalker’s ultimate. Now the cards are dropping newer whispers about characters that may land in Season 4. Every page is a mini-vision board for future chaos.

Chapter Vibe Check Notable Reward
1 Warm-up: read a story, grab a gallery card Lore card with mysterious artwork
2 Skill flex: use abilities from specific hero clusters Currency & second gallery card
3 Team comp tango: win with certain duos Special spray or emote
4 Final push: complete harder challenges Final gallery card → unlocks skin mail
5 Sealed for a week—pure anticipation 🤷‍♂️ Probably more teases for upcoming heroes

I won’t pretend the grind is always joyful. Some nights I stare at the “land 15 hits with this ability” counter and wonder if I’ve offended fate. But the flexibility keeps the rage to a simmer. You can approach this marathon however you want: focus-fire one chapter a day, or let the objectives complete themselves in the background while you simply enjoy the game. My philosophy is the latter—I queue up, pick Strange or Mantis, and suddenly a third of the tasks pop by accident.

One last nudge: check the Event tab’s newspaper layout before you start. It visualizes everything in a pulpy, front-page style that’s genuinely charming. And if you’ve been hoarding in-game currency, you can occasionally bypass a mission that makes your eye twitch—but honestly, the satisfaction of unlocking Carved Traveler through sheer persistence tastes sweeter. Or woodier. Whatever your palate prefers.

So whether you missed the original run or just want an excuse to stomp around as an ancient tree-man again, 2026’s Midnight Features throwback has you covered. See you in the Mail section, fellow bark-lovers. ✉️🌲