While Marvel Rivals continues to dominate the Steam and Twitch charts, a growing concern among fans is the presence of bots in the game, developed by NetEase Games. Launched in December, this superhero-themed competitive multiplayer game has garnered widespread acclaim and a dedicated player base, thanks to its innovative use of iconic characters like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the Fantastic Four. Despite its success, with hundreds of thousands of daily players on Steam alone (via SteamDB), the implementation of AI enemies in several game modes has sparked debate and frustration.
"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." This sentiment echoes across the community, with many players noticing the presence of what they believe are bots in standard Quickplay matches. Reports suggest that these bot encounters might occur after a series of losses, possibly to prevent player discouragement and reduce queue times.
The lack of transparency from NetEase about the presence of bots in Quickplay has fueled speculation and concern. Social media platforms are filled with posts detailing signs that might indicate a bot match, such as repetitive in-game behavior, similarly structured names, and restricted career profiles for opponents. "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 noted, highlighting the frustration of not knowing whether their improvement is genuine or artificially inflated by bot matches.
The debate over bots in multiplayer games is not new, as seen with games like Fortnite. Some Marvel Rivals players advocate for an option to toggle bot matches, while others demand their complete removal. Conversely, a few appreciate bot lobbies for completing hero-specific achievements. Reddit user ciaranxy, among others, has called on the community to scrutinize their matches, emphasizing the lack of choice players have when entering Quickplay.
For those who have spent significant time with Marvel Rivals since its launch, encountering suspicious matches is not uncommon. I can personally attest to experiencing at least one questionable Quickplay match that exhibited several telltale signs of bots, including stiff player movement and restricted profiles. We've reached out to NetEase for clarification on these matches and the alleged use of bots in Marvel Rivals.
Amidst these concerns, some players have found innovative ways to counter bots, such as using Invisible Woman's abilities to halt them. Looking ahead, NetEase has exciting plans for 2025, starting with the introduction of the Fantastic Four in Season 1: Eternal Night Falls. Creative director Guangyun Chen has promised a new hero every half-season, and later this month, fans can look forward to Peter Parker's Advanced Suit 2.0 from Marvel's Spider-Man.
