This major Season 5 update, driven by the chaotic Timestream Entanglement, also brings significant adjustments to other heroes and introduces a slate of new synergistic abilities that are bound to shake up team compositions.
It's Clobberin' Time: The Thing's New Kit
Ben Grimm's entire playstyle has been redefined. Instead of stacking damage reduction, his abilities now focus on active engagement. Embattled Leap and Battle Blitz no longer provide bonus health or DR. Instead, they're all about getting in the fight and staying there. His Stone Haymaker has also been adjusted, solidifying his role as a brawler who creates space by being a constant threat rather than just a wall of rock.
Key Hero Adjustments and Buffs
While The Thing got a full rework, several other heroes received game-changing tweaks:
- Magneto: This is a big one. The cooldowns for Metal Bulwark and Iron Bulwark are now separate. This is a massive survivability buff, allowing Magneto to cycle his defensive abilities far more effectively and increasing his uptime in sustained fights.
- Angela: The Asgardian assassin is getting more aggressive. Her dash speed and Ultimate health have been increased, giving her more power to dive the backline and secure eliminations.
- Mister Fantastic: Reed Richards now has new ways to use his Elasticity state, and the health mechanics for his Inflated state have been changed. This should provide more flexibility and skill expression for players who have mastered his unique movement.
What new Team-Up abilities were added?
Four new Team-Up abilities have been introduced, opening the door for fresh strategies. While several old ones were adjusted or removed to make way, these new combinations are the highlight:
- Blade of Khonshu
- Explosive Entanglement
- Sword of Duality
These additions suggest a focus on creating new offensive pairings. We'll have to see how players integrate them, but combos like 'Explosive Entanglement' sound like they'll be devastating for locking down objectives.
Overall, this patch isn't just a set of minor number changes; it's a deliberate effort to reshape hero identities and encourage more dynamic team play. Get ready to see a very different Thing on the battlefield and expect Magneto to be a much tougher opponent to take down.