The Fantastic Four finally became a complete squad in Marvel Rivals after a February 2026 update, which introduced Ben Grimm, better known as The Thing, and Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, to the ever-growing roster. The arrival of the duo means that Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing can now fight side by side, a moment many comic-book enthusiasts had been eagerly anticipating. But instead of pure celebration, a loud section of the player base immediately locked onto a cosmetic detail that felt less than heroic: The Thing’s \u201cFirst Family\u201d recolor skin, priced at 600 in-game Credits, quickly became a poster child for disappointing microtransactions.
The First Family skins drop alongside every Fantastic Four member\u2019s debut, serving as a baseline alternative to the default look. For Reed, Sue, and Johnny, the change amounts to a straightforward palette swap\u2014a new color scheme reflected across the entire outfit. The Thing, however, has famously simple attire: a pair of sturdy shorts and nothing else. So when players fork over 600 Credits, they receive virtually the same rocky hide with a minuscule shift in pants coloring. The feeling of getting shortchanged is impossible to ignore \ud83d\ude24. One Reddit thread, started by user justindoit1337, blasted the skin as \u201cthe worst basic one in the game,\u201d and the community responded with over 7,500 upvotes within hours. Commenter WizardJeremy piled on, pointing out that the new shorts don\u2019t even match the color tones used on the other three members, which makes the disconnect even more jarring when the team lines up together.
This isn\u2019t an isolated complaint about a single rock-hero\u2019s fashion choices. A wave of disgruntled posts has resurfaced older frustrations with the 600-Credit tier entirely. \ud83d\udd0d Luna Snow\u2019s black-and-green recolor, Mantis\u2019s neon-tinged alternative, and Adam Warlock\u2019s peculiar palette swap are frequently mentioned as equally uninspired. Many players argue that these skins fail to offer enough visual differentiation to justify even the modest in-game currency cost. The consensus forming on community hubs is blunt: if a \u201cpremium\u201d item can be mistaken for a default skin at a glance, then it\u2019s failing its primary function.
What makes the discontent louder now is the sheer contrast with other recent offerings. Only two weeks earlier, a limited-time event skin for Star-Lord completely overhauled his sound effects, animations, and visual particles, all obtainable through gameplay. Compared to that creative effort, a minimal shorts recolor feels like a relic of a less generous era. Some users have started compiling lists of the most \u201coffending\u201d budget recolors, and The Thing\u2019s entry sits confidently at the top.
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Most criticized 600-Credit skins in early 2026:
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The Thing \u2013 First Family: Pants recolor, inconsistent team colors \u26a0\ufe0f
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Luna Snow \u2013 Green-and-Black variant: Clashes with her frost theme
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Mantis \u2013 Vibrant recolor: Distracting and aesthetically displeasing
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Adam Warlock \u2013 Odd palette: Described as \u201csynthetic\u201d and cheap-looking
Beyond the cosmetic drama, the February 2026 patch also brought gameplay shifts that have stirred the competitive scene. Iron Man received a significant buff to his Unibeam, making the sustained laser output deadlier than ever. Veteran duelists are reporting that an unchecked Tony Stark can now melt tanks and supports with alarming speed. The change has forced teams to hard-counter flying threats much earlier in a match, reshaping the meta practically overnight. \ud83e\udd15 At least the notorious triple-support stall composition has been weakened through healing adjustments, so there\u2019s a silver lining for those tired of endless sustain battles.
Still, the community\u2019s attention keeps circling back to cosmetic value. The Thing\u2019s skin highlights a broader fear that NetEase Games might lean too heavily on minimal-effort recolors to pad out the store. Dedicated players have already begun crafting mock-ups of what a more worthwhile The Thing skin could look like\u2014suggestions range from a trench coat detective look to a classic wrestling singlet, or even a full cosmic-hued \u201cInfinity Thing\u201d design. The underlying message is clear: Ben Grimm deserves better than slightly darker shorts. With the Fantastic Four now fully assembled, fans are hoping the next set of cosmetics signals that the developers are listening, because a hero clad in rock deserves a wardrobe that rocks just as hard. \ud83e\udea8
The conversation around pricing, creativity, and player expectations is not going away. As Marvel Rivals enters its second year, the bar for even low-tier skins will need to rise. In the meantime, anyone queueing up as The Thing might want to stick with the default look\u2014it\u2019s still the best value, and it doesn\u2019t cost a single lattice.