Now that Season 1.5 of Marvel Rivals is in full swing, more and more players are discovering a new meta centered around flying heroes. With The Human Torch joining the roster, many are struggling to counter the sudden increase in airborne threats.
As of Season 1.5, there are three heroes capable of constant flight: Storm, Iron Man, and the newly added Human Torch. When they’re in a lobby, things can quickly spiral into chaos — especially if your DPS (Duelist) has poor aim.
This is particularly problematic in higher ranks, such as Diamond and above. One example comes with Storm's new team-up ability with Human Torch, enhancing her ultimate’s damage, range, and duration, making her even more dangerous. With the recent nerfs to the triple-healer (Strategist) meta, there are now fewer ways to counteract this deadly combination.
To make matters worse, Iron Man received a significant buff to his Unibeam, which now deals 190 damage per second when boosted and 140 damage raw. This is an undeniably massive increase — one that wasn’t exactly necessary for his kit. However, it does reward skilled Iron Man players, who have traditionally relied on Hulk’s Gamma Boost for extra power. Since Hulk is a frequent ban in higher-ranked matches, this buff helps compensate for his absence.
While The Human Torch isn’t a major issue just yet — given that players are still learning his kit—there’s already chatter on social media about a new tech that guarantees multiple eliminations within seconds of a round starting. If you need proof, check out this clip from X (formerly Twitter).
A skilled DPS can shred flying heroes since they generally lack the mobility to dodge incoming damage. Additionally, healers struggle to support them at higher altitudes, as healing requires direct line of sight — and, amusingly, many players simply don’t think to look up.
If Duelists and Strategists fall short, Vanguards could theoretically step in — but Marvel Rivals lacks a reliable tank capable of countering airborne threats. While Hulk’s jump attack and Bucky’s anti-air arm provide some solutions, they aren’t always dependable.
Perhaps when Emma Frost arrives next season, we’ll finally see a Vanguard who can handle flying enemies. And with potential future additions like Jean Grey, Ultron, and Jia Jing, let’s hope aerial superiority doesn’t spiral out of control — otherwise, the game could become a chaotic mess. After all, it’s not like NetEase just ignores concerns, right? They've already addressed a myriad of issues like battle pass conversions, nerfs, and reverting the mid-season rank resets. Maybe they could do a balance update in the future where we see more of these flying heroes glued to the ground.
Be sure to check out our Human Torch and The Thing ability breakdowns, as well as for the rest of the Fantastic Four. For more Marvel Rivals pieces, check out Gfinity.