I’ve been diving into Marvel Rivals again, and I have to say, the mid-season update for Eternal Night Falls gave us a ton of reasons to keep queuing up. One of the coolest free rewards is the Carved Traveler skin for Groot, which you could get by completing the Midnight Features 2 quest line. I want to break down why this cosmetic is worth chasing, how Groot actually plays, and what else you should keep an eye on if you’re still grinding through the season.

Groot has always been one of my favorite Vanguards because he isn’t just a damage sponge. His kit lets him reshape the entire battlefield. His Thornlash Wall doesn’t just block lines of sight; it also attacks nearby enemies with erupting vines while you’re brawling. That means you can play aggressively around your own walls and force enemies to respect space they thought was safe. His Ironwood Wall is the tanky option, giving defensive coverage and helping Groot gain bonus health when he attacks enemies near it. Combine that with a solid health pool, and you have a hero who can hold objectives, split enemy teams, and support allies by controlling sightlines.

What makes the Carved Traveler skin stand out is how different it feels from Groot’s default look. Instead of the usual earthy tones, this outfit leans into a darker color scheme. The wood looks deep brown, almost charred in places, and he has a tattered gray scarf hanging loosely over his shoulders. There are words carved into his bark, and barbed wire wraps around his arms, waist, and legs. It gives him a haunted, battle-worn vibe that fits the vampire-heavy theme of Eternal Night Falls. If you completed the first round of Midnight Features quests, you may remember the free Thor skin from earlier in the season. Groot’s Carved Traveler is a great follow-up because it captures the same grim newspaper-story energy.

What the Midnight Features 2 Quest Line Offered

I really enjoy how NetEase Games presents the Midnight Features quests. Instead of a standard checklist, the event is laid out like a newspaper with breaking headlines that help tell the season’s story. The front page even gave players their first close-up look at Blade, who is heavily rumored to be coming as a playable hero in Season 2. That little storytelling touch makes grinding through the objectives feel more rewarding than just ticking boxes.

On top of the Groot skin, Midnight Features 2 handed out a bunch of smaller rewards. Here’s a quick look at what I remember seeing in the reward track:

• Sprays to customize your profile and messages

• Chrono Tokens to progress through the battle pass

• Units, which are useful for unlocking more cosmetics

• The main prize: the Carved Traveler Groot skin

Players who logged in during the event window could work through these quests and claim the skin for free. It’s one of those rewards that feels even better because it’s tied to a character that has a high skill ceiling and a lot of map impact.

Groot Gameplay Tips to Make the Skin Feel Earned

If you’re going to rock the Carved Traveler skin, you might as well lean into Groot’s strengths. Here’s how I like to think about his kit in a match:

Ability	Role	Why It Matters
Thornlash Wall	Aggressive control	Damages enemies while you fight nearby
Ironwood Wall	Defensive anchor	Sturdier cover and bonus health generation
Bonus Health	Sustain tool	Keeps Groot alive during extended brawls

The key is using walls to cut off healers from their tanks or to block escape routes. When you force an enemy duelist to burn movement cooldowns around your walls, you’re already winning the neutral game. Groot may not have the flashiest mobility, but his battlefield manipulation is incredibly satisfying once you learn map layouts.

Competitive Mode Still Had Free Cosmetics

If you’re hunting for even more free skins, Competitive mode was another solid path. Fans who managed to reach Gold rank by the end of Season 1: Eternal Night Falls could earn two free skins. The first is Blood Shield for Invisible Woman. It was originally tied to the first half of the season, but NetEase Games extended the eligibility window, so players still had a chance to grab it. The second is Blood Blaze for Human Torch, who just joined the roster alongside The Thing. That’s a nice incentive to push ranked if you’re confident in your team play.

What the Update Brought Beyond the Skin

The mid-season update wasn’t just about cosmetics. We also got the new Central Park map, which has been taken over by Dracula and his evil army. That setting fits perfectly with the darker Midnight Features quests and the eventual arrival of Blade. Seeing Human Torch and The Thing join the roster made me want to experiment with new team compositions, too. With Season 1 in full swing at the time and so much content to explore, the future of Marvel Rivals felt incredibly bright.

Even looking back from 2026, Groot’s Carved Traveler skin remains one of my favorite free rewards because it shows how NetEase can blend cosmetics, storytelling, and gameplay incentives. If you missed it, keep an eye on future Midnight Features-style events, because this game has a habit of bringing thematic rewards back when the story calls for it. For now, I’ll be on the battlefield, placing walls in the most annoying places possible and enjoying every second of it.