TL;DR
- Fantastic Four MCU collaboration brings new costumes and team-up abilities
- First Steps team-up between Human Torch and The Thing creates mobility-denial zones
- Enhanced Accessory Points system provides faster cosmetic progression
- Season 3 meta continues evolving with Phoenix dominating ranked matches
- New strategies emerge around mobility control and area denial tactics
Marvel Rivals Season 3, titled The Abyss Awakens, launched on July 11 and has rapidly transformed the competitive environment. The introduction of Phoenix as a Duelist character has revolutionized team compositions, particularly through her Primal Flame synergy with Wolverine. This powerful combination creates a relentless offensive force that leverages life steal mechanics to sustain through extended engagements, making it a dominant presence in ranked ladder play.
The Ever-Burning Bond partnership between Human Torch and Spider-Man continues gaining traction among competitive players. This alliance enhances Spider-Man’s web-based attacks with fiery area-of-effect damage, creating devastating crowd control potential. Meanwhile, the Klyntar: Celestial Husk battlefield and recent character adjustments—including improved mobility for The Thing and damage enhancements for Namor—have significantly influenced professional tournament strategies.
As the season advances, the latest July 24th update introduces the groundbreaking “First Steps” collaboration between Human Torch and The Thing. This addition promises to further reshape the competitive meta while celebrating the superhero team’s cinematic debut through strategic in-game content integration.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps costume collection makes its spectacular debut in Marvel Rivals! These premium cosmetic items become accessible starting July 25 at 2 AM UTC. All four core team members—Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing—receive complete visual overhauls with outfits and emotional expressions directly inspired by their upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance.
Beyond the visual upgrades, players will notice significant quality-of-life improvements, including an enhanced Accessory Points acquisition system. This adjustment ensures more consistent cosmetic progression regardless of match outcome, reducing frustration during losing streaks while maintaining competitive integrity.
New Team-Up Ability – First Steps (Human Torch & The Thing):
Johnny Storm serves as the Team-Up Anchor in this powerful new combination, capable of propelling The Thing airborne with precision timing. At the optimal combat moment, he can launch Ben Grimm groundward with devastating force, inflicting significant area damage, displacing enemy combatants, and establishing a temporary zone that neutralizes mobility-based abilities.
“You know what time it is, Ben?”
This coordinated assault creates unique strategic opportunities for area denial and crowd control. The mobility suppression field persists for several seconds, forcing opponents to reconsider engagement strategies and creating windows for objective capture or strategic repositioning. Advanced players can combine this ability with other area-control ultimates to create nearly impenetrable defensive formations.
Professional competitors recommend pairing the First Steps team-up with characters who excel at area denial or follow-up crowd control. The mobility-disabling zone works exceptionally well when combined with trap-based abilities or other movement-restricting effects, creating layered defensive strategies that can shut down aggressive dive compositions.
A common mistake involves activating the team-up ability without proper setup or communication. The optimal approach requires coordinating with your The Thing player to ensure they’re prepared for the aerial maneuver and subsequent ground impact. Advanced timing is crucial—deploying too early wastes the mobility denial, while delaying too long misses critical engagement windows.
For ranked play optimization, consider using this ability to secure objective control points or disrupt enemy ultimate combinations. The brief window of mobility suppression can neutralize dangerous offensive pushes while your team prepares counter-measures or regroups from disadvantageous positions.
When exploring different playstyles in Marvel Rivals, understanding class synergies becomes essential. Our comprehensive Class Guide provides detailed breakdowns of optimal character combinations and team composition strategies that can elevate your competitive performance.
Action Checklist
- Practice the First Steps team-up timing in training mode before ranked matches
- Coordinate with your The Thing player to maximize aerial maneuver effectiveness
- Experiment with mobility-denial zone placements on different map objectives
- Adjust your Accessory Points farming routes to leverage the enhanced acquisition rates
No reproduction without permission:Tsp Game Club » Marvel Rivals July 24 Patch Notes Bring New Team-Ups, Accessory Point Changes and More Marvel Rivals July 24 update introduces Fantastic Four MCU collaboration with new team-up abilities and enhanced rewards
