The Marvel Universe as we know it started in 1961 with the debut of the Fantastic Four, so it’s only fitting that the first post-launch heroes for Marvel Rivals are coming from the first family of superheroes. NetEase Games has dropped a teaser image for the Fantastic Four with an announcement that a new trailer is coming on Monday, January 6.
As with the previous heroes introduced in the game, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing have been slightly redesigned to fit in with Marvel Rivals’ aesthetic. For example, Mr. Fantastic looks considerably younger and more buff than his comic-book counterpart. Intriguingly, the FF’s helper robot, H.E.R.B.I.E., is also prominently featured in the promo art. That’s prompted speculation that he could also be a playable character, similar to Jeff the Land Shark.
One of the reasons why the FF are getting such a prominent push is that 2025 will mark the team’s return to cinemas 10 years after the much-maligned 2015 Fantastic Four reboot. The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the team’s MCU debut after alternate versions of Mr. Fantastic and Human Torch had cameos in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively.
Through January 10, NetEase is giving away a free in-game gift of a chibi version of Galactica to celebrate hitting 20 million players. NetEase has also promised that cross-platform progression is in the works. As part of the game’s Winter Celebration, Marvel Rivals added Jeff’s Winter Splash Festival–a 4v4 Arcade Mode. Additionally, NetEase’s first Marvel Rivals patch addressed several issues that players spoke up about.
