NetEase has released the first look at The Thing gameplay in Marvel Rivals, the latest Vanguard joining the hero shooter roster. The Thing arrives alongside Human Torch on February 21 and will be free-to-play, just like all current and future heroes.
The new trailer shows off The Thing’s abilities as a tank, which mostly involve clobbering enemies. His main attack combo is a series of punches, and he has a more powerful punch with better range as an ability. The Thing can also sprint, knocking enemies up in his path and finishing with a powerful ground pound.
The Thing also has a support-focused ability, which allows him to leap to a nearby teammate, giving himself bonus health when he reaches them. The bonus health comes from rocks that float around The Thing and give bonus health when destroyed by enemies. This was paired with his team-up with Wolverine, which allows him to throw Wolverine as part of the fastball special, a team-up already in the game with Hulk. His ultimate is a large ground pound, which deals damage in an outward cone, knocking up enemies hit, leaving them vulnerable to other attacks.
The Thing is the first Vanguard to be added to the roster since launch, likely making him a popular pick when the Marvel Rivals Season 1 mid-season update launches on February 21. That same update will also see some support nerfs. In other Marvel Rivals news, NetEase has reportedly laid off multiple Marvel Rivals developers, despite how successful the hero shooter has been.