Marvel Rivals Season 1.5 First Impressions – The Thing and Human Torch Takes the Stage

We recently had the opportunity to try out Marvel Rivals Season 1.5, offering a glimpse into what’s coming on February 21, 2025. This mid-season update introduces two members of the Fantastic Four alongside a striking new map. Let’s break down what’s in store for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC players.

Human Torch: Playing with Fire

Johnny Storm brings an aggressive damage-focused playstyle to Marvel Rivals. With just 250 HP, he’s definitely on the squishier side, but what he lacks in durability he makes up for in raw damage output.

His basic “Fire Cluster” attack functions like a projectile shotgun that can eliminate 275 HP characters with just 3-4 well-placed shots. The ability to create “Flame Fields” with his Blazing Blast ability (which stores up to 3 charges) combined with his Pyro-Prison skill creates dangerous area denial opportunities. When two Flame Fields exist, Pyro-Prison connects them with a fire wall that deals high damage to enemies passing through.

Human Torch’s ultimate ability, Supernova, transforms him into an even greater threat. In this state, his Blazing Blast becomes Flame Tornado, and he can activate Plasma Body (his sprint ability) without cost. However, his mobility feels somewhat sluggish compared to his comic book counterpart – his sprint doesn’t match the speed players might expect from the character.

What really elevates Human Torch is his team synergy. When paired with Invisible Woman, he gains access to the “United Siblings” team-up ability, providing damage resistance and regenerating bonus health – greatly offsetting his low HP vulnerability. His “Omega Fire” team-up with Storm could potentially dominate the meta, allowing them to combine ultimates for devastating area damage through enhanced Burning Hurricanes.

The Thing: It’s Clobberin’ Time

Benjamin Grimm enters as Marvel Rivals’ newest Vanguard, bringing a kit focused on space creation and ally protection. His standout feature is the passive “Unyielding Will,” granting immunity to knockbacks, launch-ups, and displacement effects – making him a direct counter to displacement-heavy characters like Wolverine.

The Thing’s abilities emphasize his role as a frontline protector. “Yancy Street Charge” knocks enemies back while creating a zone that prevents mobility skill usage. His ultimate “Clobberin’ Time” launches enemies into the air, creating space for team advances. Perhaps most valuable for support players, his “Embattled Leap” allows him to jump to an ally and apply damage reduction to both, potentially saving teammates from flanks.

Like Human Torch, The Thing benefits from the Fantastic Four team synergy through “Cooperative Comrades” (identical to Human Torch’s “United Siblings”). He also has the entertaining “Cosmic Fastball” team-up with Wolverine and Hulk, allowing them to launch Wolverine as a projectile – a creative adaptation of the classic comic book move.

Empire of Eternal Night: Central Park and NewCosmetics

The new Convergence map adds another gothic-themed battleground to Marvel Rivals. As attackers, players must rescue Ratatoskr by capturing a zone to destroy his shackles, then escort him to Dracula’s Castle. Defenders aim to prevent this progression.

The map features impressive gothic architecture with dynamic elements that change based on match progression. Multiple flanking routes and strategic positions create varied gameplay opportunities. The destruction system showcased in previous Empire of Eternal Night maps continues to impress here.  While the map design deserves praise, some might find the recycling of the Convergence mode a bit repetitive. The game would benefit from introducing new gameplay modes in future updates.

Season 1.5 introduces character bundles for both new heroes, priced at 1600 units each. The bundles include:

• Character skin (Negative Zone Gladiator for Human Torch; Trench Coat for The Thing)
• MVP animation
• Emotes
• Spray
• Name plates

Final Thoughts

Marvel Rivals Season 1.5 brings solid additions to the roster with two characters that could shift the current meta. Human Torch offers high damage potential with some team synergy concerns that might need balancing, while The Thing provides a much-needed counter to displacement-heavy compositions.

The Central Park map maintains the high visual quality players have come to expect, though some may wish for new game modes rather than just new environments. Sharp-eyed fans will also spot a tease for a potential future character – Blade – in the map’s trailer. Overall, Season 1.5 looks to be a worthwhile update that should keep the Marvel Rivals community engaged until the next full season arrives with potentially more substantial gameplay changes.

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