Marvel Rivals Bot Conspiracy Unveiled

As Marvel Rivals continues to dominate the charts on Steam and Twitch, a growing concern among fans revolves around the presence of bots in NetEase Games' new hero shooter. Launched in December, the game has quickly garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase, thanks to its engaging style and innovative use of iconic characters like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the recently added Fantastic Four. Despite its success, with hundreds of thousands of daily players on Steam alone (via SteamDB), the game has not been immune to criticism, particularly regarding the implementation of AI enemies in various game modes.

"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 games released in the past 15 years, Marvel Rivals includes practice modes featuring AI opponents, commonly known as "bots." These modes allow players to adjust the difficulty to their preference, serving as essential tools for skill improvement and providing a break from the intensity of matches against human opponents. However, the issue arises with the alleged presence of bots in standard Quickplay matches, which has sparked widespread discussion and concern among the community.

Over recent weeks, social media platforms have been inundated with posts from players suspecting they are matched against low-level bots in Quickplay, with some also noticing their teammates being replaced by bots. Theories suggest that these bot matches might be triggered after multiple losses to prevent player frustration and reduce queue times. However, NetEase has provided little transparency on the matter, leaving players to speculate and share their findings on social media (IGN has requested a comment from NetEase). Players have identified several potential indicators of bot matches, including repetitive in-game behavior, similar teammate names, and restricted career profiles labeled on every enemy.

"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 bots in multiplayer games is not new, with similar discussions occurring in games like Fortnite. In the case of Marvel Rivals, players have suggested options such as toggling bot matches on or off, or removing the feature entirely. Meanwhile, some players appreciate the occasional bot lobby as an opportunity to achieve specific hero milestones. Reddit user ciaranxy raised concerns about their matches and urged the community to investigate further, stating, "So, you can choose to believe this is an issue or not – that is your CHOICE. But – for everyone else – when you press Quickplay, NetEase does not give you a choice."

If you've spent considerable time playing Marvel Rivals since its launch, chances are you've encountered one of these questionable lobbies. My own experience confirmed at least one suspicious Quickplay match exhibiting the warning signs mentioned by the community, such as unnatural player movements, similarly structured names, and multiple restricted profiles. We have reached out to NetEase for clarification on these matches and the alleged use of bots in Marvel Rivals.

While the bot controversy unfolds, players can explore how some Marvel Rivals players are using the Invisible Woman to counter bots effectively. Looking ahead, NetEase has ambitious plans for 2025, starting with the introduction of the Fantastic Four in Season 1: Eternal Night Falls. Creative director Guangyun Chen has committed to introducing at least one new hero every half-season, and fans can soon expect to unlock Peter Parker’s Advanced Suit 2.0 from Marvel’s Spider-Man.