Marvel Rivals developer NetEase is gearing up for the release of a huge new update for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Season 1, Part 2 introduces even more new characters to the game, as The Thing and Human Torch from Fantastic Four join the line-up.
The second big Marvel Rivals Fantastic Four update has a February 21 release date and a 9am GMT UK release time. That’s 1am PST for fans living in the US.
Unfortunately, however, while the update launches at 9am, fans won’t actually be able to check out the new content until after a period of server downtime.
According to a recent Marvel Rivals social media post, Season 1, Part 2 server downtime runs for around three hours. This means the new content will be playable at around 12pm GMT UK time.
“Get ready for our latest patch! New content, updates, and fixes are coming as we continue to refine the battlefield!” reads a Marvel Rivals post on X.
“Maintenance starts on February 21 at 1 AM PST and is estimated to last around 3 hours. During this time, the servers will be offline, and players will not be able to access the game. Server return times may vary based on progress.”
As NetEase points out, downtime may vary, which means it’s possible the game could come back online before 12pm, or after.
In terms of new content, the headline feature is the addition of The Thing and Human Torch as free playable characters.
Needless to say, Human Torch will shoot fireballs at his opponents from the ground and air, before hurling himself at enemies to close the gap.
The Thing, on the other hand, will use powerful physical attacks to take out the opposition, including punches and ground pounds.
Fans will also be able to purchase additional outfits for the heroes, including Trench Coat and First Family Thing, as well as Negative Zone Gladiator and First Family Human Torch.
Other new content includes the Empire of Eternal Night: Central Park map, which launches alongside a few gameplay tweaks.
As you can see from the patch notes below, the developer will add an extra 0.5 seconds of grace time at the end of the overtime in all modes.
NetEase has also improved loading times at the start of matches, while matchmaking for substitutes will no longer occur when a quick match is about to end in Quick Mode.
You can check out the Marvel Rivals Season 1, Part 2 update patch notes below…
New Content
Heroes and Costumes
– The Thing and Human Torch are ready to rock out and flame on!
– New Costumes: The Thing – Trench Coat and First Family, along with Human Torch – Negative Zone Gladiator and First Family!
Maps and Modes
– Enter the new Convergence map – Empire of Eternal Night: Central Park.
– New: An extra 0.5 seconds of grace time will be added at the end of the overtime in all modes, optimising situations where games may end abruptly (like when players cannot be detected due to certain hero abilities or when accidentally drift slightly outside the valid range).
– New: In Quick Mode, matchmaking for substitutes will no longer occur when a quick match is about to end.
– Optimisation: Improved loading speed at the start of matches.
Season Battle Pass and Season Story Events
– The season event Midnight Features II is here!
– The first round of the season 1.5 Twitch Drops event is live! Players can earn the “Two-in-One” spray and Hela’s “Great Galaxy” emote. Also, stay tuned for a second round, expected to arrive mid-season 1.5, featuring a brand-new costume reward! (Keep an eye on official announcements for exact times!)
– Players who purchase the Luxury Battle Pass and redeem all its rewards can now convert any leftover Chrono Tokens for Units at a specific ratio.
Ranked
– New: Season 1 has been split into S1.0 and S1.5, with S1.0 concluding on February 21, 2025, at 8:00 AM (UTC+0). Rewards including the costume and Crest of Honors will be distributed accordingly. In S1.5, players will retain their ranks from the end of S1.0.
– New: S1.5 Gold Rank costume rewards include Invisible Woman – Blood Shield and Human Torch – Blood Blaze.
– New: Crest of Honor rewards for S1.5 will feature distinct designs for Grandmaster, Celestial, Eternity, and Top 500.
– New: A “Hide Own Name (Competitive)” feature is now available for players at Diamond III and above. Once activated, your true identity will be under wraps during the loading screen, hero selection, and the start of the match. Other players won’t be able to see your name right away! After a short period in the battle, your real name will pop back up.
General
– Career System: Season statistics will now distinguish between S1.0 and S1.5, with the added ability to filter Tournament data only.
– Account Deletion: A new account deletion option has been added under Settings – Other, allowing players to initiate the account deletion process.
– Inactivity Detection: AFK timers will pause during the wait to respawn.
– Reticle Customisation: All changes will now automatically upload to server storage, preventing loss due to local issues.
– Graphics and Settings: Optimised the brightness of some scene floors when “Reflection Quality” is set to “Off.”
– Discord Binding Interface: Adjusted to generate an invitation code only upon clicking “Generate.”
PC SPECIFIC
Graphics and Settings
– NVIDIA DLSS 4 is available now, featuring DLSS Multi Frame Generation for GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU. DLSS Multi Frame Generation generates up to three additional frames per traditionally rendered frame, providing even faster performance for gamers.
– AMD Radeon Anti-Lag 2 is available now, reducing the system latency (the time between user inputs and visual responses). It works best in GPU-limited scenarios. (Anti-Lag 2 Requires AMD Radeon RX 5000 Series or newer GPU)
– Fixed AMD FSR3 Frame Generation frame pacing for smoother experience.
CONSOLE SPECIFIC
– Adjusted the “Model Detail” graphics setting tier for Xbox Series S to enhance performance and stability.
– Improved focus navigation in the mail system for easier content management.
– Optimised aim assist range and mechanics, making crosshair deceleration more visually intuitive.
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