Marvel Rivals: The Bot Controversy in NetEase's Popular Hero Shooter
Despite topping Steam and Twitch charts, Marvel Rivals, NetEase's hero shooter, faces growing player concerns regarding the use of bots in Quickplay matches. The game, lauded for its style and iconic Marvel characters, boasts a substantial player base. However, weeks after launch, a significant number of players report encountering matches where opponents and even teammates exhibit characteristics strongly suggesting AI opponents.
Reddit and other social media platforms are filled with discussions about these suspected bot matches. Players describe encountering opponents with unusual, repetitive in-game behavior, similar usernames (often single words in all caps or oddly structured names), and, most notably, enemy profiles labeled "restricted." The prevailing theory is that the game strategically places players against bots after a series of losses, potentially to mitigate player frustration and maintain short queue times.
NetEase has yet to publicly address these allegations, leaving players to speculate and devise their own methods of identifying bot matches. The lack of transparency fuels the controversy, with players demanding clarity and options to disable or control bot encounters. Some players even utilize these suspected bot matches to complete hero achievements.
One Reddit user, ciaranxy, initiated a community discussion highlighting the lack of player choice regarding bot matches in Quickplay. The user emphasizes the frustration of potentially improving skills against AI without realizing it. The impact extends to ranked play, where players hesitate to practice new heroes due to potential teammate backlash.
The author confirms personally experiencing a suspicious Quickplay match with several telltale signs, including unusual player movement, similar names, and restricted enemy profiles. NetEase has been contacted for comment.
Despite this controversy, NetEase remains optimistic about Marvel Rivals' future, planning new content including the Fantastic Four in Season 1, a new hero every half-season, and a new Spider-Man skin. The ongoing debate over bots, however, casts a shadow over the game's otherwise successful launch. Meanwhile, some players are creatively using the Invisible Woman character to counter what they believe to be bots.
