Marvel Rivals is set to expand its roster with the addition of The Thing and Human Torch from The Fantastic Four, launching as playable characters on February 21, 2025. This exciting update coincides with the release of the second half of Season 1, promising an array of fresh content for fans of the popular hero shooter developed by Marvel and NetEase Games.
While the specifics of the Season 1.5 update remain under wraps, a Dev Talk blog post on the Marvel Rivals website hints at "major balance adjustments" that will accompany the new heroes. The anticipation builds as fans eagerly await details on how The Thing and Human Torch's new moves and abilities will impact the game. Following the introduction of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman in the last month's Season 1 launch, these classic heroes brought innovative gameplay mechanics—Reed Richards with his stretchy, goofy elastic powers and Sue Storm with her invisibility tactics. With Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm on the horizon, the meta is sure to shift once again, and fans are hoping for early gameplay reveals from NetEase.
The upcoming Season 1 update will also feature a rank reset for Ranked players, dropping their rank by four divisions. For instance, a Diamond I player on February 20 will find themselves in Platinum II the following day. NetEase has outlined future plans for rank resets, stating that new seasons will see a six-division drop, while half-season updates will result in a four-division drop. The company aims to refine its Ranked system in response to player feedback, promising to "tune this as necessary."
Competitive players in the Gold rank have something to look forward to with new costume rewards launching with the second half of Season 1. Additionally, NetEase will introduce new Crests of Honor to celebrate achievements at the Grandmaster, Celestial, Eternity, and One Above All tiers (the top 500 players).
As the community eagerly awaits further details on Marvel Rivals' post-launch roadmap, the promise of new heroes every half-season, announced by creative director Guangyun Chen, keeps the excitement alive. Fans are buzzing with speculation about the potential addition of the vampire-hunting Daywalker Blade, fueled by rumors and leaks that have sparked debates in recent weeks. Until then, players can dive into our current Marvel Rivals Season 1 tier list to discover the best characters and understand how the initial Season 1 patch reshaped the game's meta, amidst discussions around the game's alleged bot issue.
