The Thing and Human Torch Set for February Release in Marvel Rivals

The Fantastic Four team in Marvel Rivals will be complete when The Thing and Human Torch join the fray as playable characters on February 21, 2025. This exciting news was announced today, alongside the revelation that their arrival will coincide with an update for the second half of Season 1. Although specifics about the Season 1.5 update remain under wraps, a Dev Talk blog post on the Marvel Rivals website hinted at "major balance adjustments."

While we await further details on how The Thing and Human Torch will illuminate the roster with their unique moves and abilities, it's worth noting that Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman were introduced as the first post-launch heroes when Season 1 kicked off last month. Their unique tools have already shifted the game's meta, with Reed Richards leveraging his elastic powers for stretchy (and goofy) attacks, and Sue Storm bringing invisibility mechanics into play. The upcoming duo of Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm is sure to further evolve the gameplay, and we're all hoping NetEase will showcase some gameplay footage soon.

The upcoming Marvel Rivals Season 1 update will also introduce a rank reset for Ranked players. On February 21, players will experience a drop of four divisions. For instance, a Diamond I player on February 20 will find themselves at Platinum II the following day. NetEase has outlined that future seasons will feature a six-division drop at the start, while half-season updates will result in a four-division drop. As the game continues to evolve, NetEase promises to fine-tune these adjustments based on player feedback.

Despite the rank reset, there's good news for competitive players in the Gold rank, who can look forward to new costume rewards with the launch of the second half of Season 1. Additionally, NetEase will introduce new Crests of Honor to celebrate players at the Grandmaster, Celestial, Eternity, and One Above All ranks (the top 500).

Fans of superheroes have been eagerly awaiting more details on Marvel Rivals' post-launch roadmap, and the addition of The Fantastic Four is just the beginning. Last month, creative director Guangyun Chen heightened excitement by promising to release a new playable character every half-season. This means a new Marvel hero will join the battle approximately every six weeks, keeping the game fresh and engaging with each seasonal update. There's plenty of evidence suggesting that the vampire-hunting Daywalker Blade could be next in line, though beyond rumors and leaks that have sparked debates among players for weeks, the future of Marvel Rivals remains shrouded in mystery.

In the meantime, you can explore our current Marvel Rivals Season 1 tier list to discover the best characters while anticipating how the mid-season update will alter the meta. Additionally, delve into how the original Season 1 patch transformed the game's dynamics, and understand why the community became so animated over the alleged bot issue in Marvel Rivals.