Marvel Rivals Bot Conspiracy Unveiled

As Marvel Rivals continues to dominate the Steam and Twitch charts, a growing concern among fans is the presence of bots in the game. Launched in December by NetEase Games, this superhero-themed competitive multiplayer game has received widespread acclaim for its engaging gameplay and innovative use of iconic characters such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the Fantastic Four. Despite its success, with hundreds of thousands of daily players on Steam alone (via SteamDB), the integration of AI enemies in several game modes has sparked a wave of criticism from the community.

"I know people may feel differently but playing against bots in (Quickplay) just doesn’t feel good at all to me," expressed one Reddit user. "AI should be in AI modes and that's it."

Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes

Like many multiplayer titles over the past 15 years, Marvel Rivals features practice modes where players face off against AI opponents, commonly known as "bots." These modes allow users to adjust the difficulty level, making them ideal for honing skills or taking a break from the intensity of human player matches. However, the controversy arises from the alleged presence of bots in standard Quickplay matches.

Over recent weeks, social media platforms have been inundated with reports from players suspecting they are matched against bot players in Quickplay, with some also noticing their teammates being substituted by bots. The prevailing theory suggests that the game might introduce bot matches following consecutive losses, potentially to prevent players from becoming discouraged and to expedite matchmaking. However, NetEase has not provided clear information on this matter, leaving players to speculate and search for signs of bots on their own.

Signs that players are facing bots include repetitive in-game behavior, identical or similarly formatted teammate names, such as all capital letters or a mix of full and partial names, and the "restricted" label on every enemy's career profile. "The fact that you can even get bot games after wins and that the game doesn't tell you that you're against bots is what gets me about this," another Reddit user stated. "You don't want to learn new heroes in comp because people will understandably rage at you for doing that, but if you try to learn a hero in (Quickplay) you now have to second guess if you actually are getting any better on that hero or if the game is just making you think you are because it's handing you free wins in the form of bots."

The debate over the use of bots in multiplayer games is not new, with similar discussions having taken place in communities like Fortnite for years. In the case of Marvel Rivals, opinions are divided: some players advocate for an option to toggle bot matches on or off, others demand their complete removal, and a few appreciate the occasional bot lobby for achieving specific hero milestones. Reddit user ciaranxy, who began questioning their matches post-launch, urged the community to scrutinize their games as well. "So, you can choose to believe this is an issue or not – that is your CHOICE," ciaranxy stated. "But – for everyone else – when you press Quickplay, NetEase does not give you a choice."

If you've spent considerable time playing Marvel Rivals, chances are you've encountered one of these suspicious lobbies. Personally, I've experienced at least one questionable Quickplay match with the telltale signs: stiff player movements, similar naming conventions, and multiple restricted profiles. We have reached out to NetEase for further clarification on the presence of bots in Marvel Rivals and the nature of these matches.

Amidst the ongoing bot investigation, some players have found innovative ways to deal with them, such as using Invisible Woman to halt bots in their tracks (learn more). Looking ahead, NetEase has ambitious plans for 2025, starting with the introduction of the Fantastic Four in Season 1: Eternal Night Falls (details here). Creative director Guangyun Chen has committed to introducing at least one new hero every half-season, and later this month, fans can look forward to acquiring Peter Parker’s Advanced Suit 2.0 from Marvel’s Spider-Man (preview here).