"Marvel Rivals to Launch The Thing and Human Torch in February"

The excitement surrounding Marvel Rivals continues to build as The Fantastic Four team will be completed with the addition of The Thing and Human Torch as playable characters on February 21, 2025. This eagerly awaited release was announced today, coinciding with the launch of an update for the second half of Season 1. While the specifics of the Season 1.5 update remain under wraps, a Dev Talk blog post on the Marvel Rivals website hinted at "major balance adjustments" on the horizon.

As for The Thing and Human Torch, fans are eager to see how these iconic heroes will bring their unique abilities to the game. Following the introduction of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman at the start of Season 1 last month, both of whom brought innovative mechanics to the game with Reed Richards' elastic powers and Sue Storm's invisibility, expectations are high for what Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm will offer. Hopefully, NetEase will showcase some gameplay footage before their launch to keep the anticipation high.

The upcoming Marvel Rivals Season 1 update will also feature a rank reset for Ranked players. As of February 21, players will see their Rank drop by four divisions. For example, a Diamond I player on February 20 will find themselves at Platinum II the next day. NetEase has outlined that future updates will follow a similar pattern, with new seasons triggering a six-division drop and half-season updates leading to a four-division drop. The company plans to adjust this system as needed to meet player expectations.

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

The anticipation for Marvel Rivals' post-launch plans has been palpable among superhero fans, with The Fantastic Four marking just the beginning. Creative director Guangyun Chen fueled this excitement last month by promising a new playable character every half-season, ensuring a new Marvel hero joins the fray approximately every six weeks. This continuous stream of fresh content is set to keep players engaged as the seasons unfold. There's growing evidence suggesting that the vampire-hunting Daywalker Blade might be next in line, though amidst rumors and leaks that have sparked debates in the community, the future of Marvel Rivals remains shrouded in mystery.

While waiting for the mid-season update, players can dive into our current Marvel Rivals Season 1 tier list to discover the best characters currently dominating the game. Additionally, you can review how the original Season 1 patch reshaped the game's meta and understand the community's reactions to the alleged bot issue that stirred up quite a controversy.