Marvel Rivals Debuts The Thing, Human Torch in February

Marvel Rivals completes The Fantastic Four lineup, with The Thing and Human Torch joining the game as playable characters on February 21, 2025.

Marvel and NetEase Games announced the release date for these new heroes in their popular hero shooter today, confirming their arrival with the Season 1.5 update. While the full details of this mid-season patch are still under wraps, a Dev Talk blog post on the Marvel Rivals website hints at "major balance adjustments."

As for The Thing and Human Torch, their specific movesets and abilities remain a mystery for now. Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman debuted as the first post-launch heroes when Season 1 began last month. Each character introduced unique mechanics that shifted the multiplayer meta: Reed Richards uses his elastic powers for long-range, unconventional attacks, while Sue Storm brings stealth to the battlefield with invisibility. Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm are expected to have a similar impact upon their release in a few weeks, though players hope NetEase shares some gameplay footage beforehand.

The upcoming Marvel Rivals Season 1.5 update will also include a rank reset for competitive players. Starting February 21, all ranks will drop by four divisions. For example, a Diamond I player on February 20 will be demoted to Platinum II the next day.

NetEase outlined its future plans for rank resets, noting that full new seasons will result in a six-division drop, while mid-season updates like this one will trigger a four-division drop. The developer stated it will continue to adjust the Ranked system based on player feedback and "tune this as necessary."

It's not all setbacks, however. Competitive players ranked Gold and above can earn new costume rewards in the second half of Season 1. NetEase will also introduce new Crests of Honor to "recognize players at Grandmaster, Celestial, Eternity, and One Above All (the top 500)."

Superhero fans have been eagerly awaiting news about Marvel Rivals' post-launch roadmap, and The Fantastic Four is just the start. Last month, creative director Guangyun Chen promised a new playable character every half-season, meaning a fresh hero will join the roster approximately every six weeks to keep the experience evolving. Signs point to the vampire hunter Blade being the next likely addition, though beyond recent rumors and leaks sparking community debate, the game's future content remains largely unknown.

While you wait for the mid-season update to alter the game's dynamics, you can check out our current Marvel Rivals Season 1 tier list to see the top-performing characters. You can also explore how the original Season 1 patch reshaped the meta and why the community raised concerns over Marvel Rivals' alleged bot issue.