Banned Accounts and Hero’s in Marvel Rivals:

Welcome To The Arcade.

Cheating and Bans: NetEase, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has been very strict about cheating. During the closed beta, 190 accounts were banned, with their usernames revealed publicly as part of NetEase’s commitment to transparency in maintaining fair play. For those caught cheating, bans can be extremely long, with some players receiving bans for up to 100 years, which has been a topic of both humor and satisfaction among the player base.

False Bans: There have been instances where players were wrongfully banned due to the game’s anti-cheat system flagging benign software or compatibility layers as cheating tools. NetEase has acknowledged these issues, particularly with players using software like Steelseries GG overlay or operating system compatibility layers, leading to a wave of apologies and ban reversals. This has sparked discussions on the need for more precise anti-cheat mechanisms to prevent such occurrences.

Hero Bans: One of the notable features in Marvel Rivals is the hero ban system in competitive play. Initially, this feature was only available to players in Diamond rank or above, allowing teams to vote on which heroes they do not want in their match to balance gameplay or counter specific strategies. There has been a significant community push for this feature to be extended to all ranks of competitive play, arguing that characters like Hela and Hawkeye can dominate lower ranks, making progression challenging for new or less experienced players. This discussion is well documented across various gaming forums and articles.

Banned Phrases: In an effort to maintain a friendly and inclusive environment, certain phrases have been banned from in-game chat, including “Winnie the Pooh,” due to its political connotations in China, where NetEase is based. Other politically charged phrases like “Isis,” “Hitler,” and “Free Taiwan” are also not allowed. This censorship has raised questions about freedom of speech within the game’s community, especially among players unfamiliar with the cultural context.

Penalty System: The game also features a penalty system for behaviors like going AFK (away from keyboard) or leaving matches prematurely. These penalties come in the form of temporary bans from certain game modes, which has been a point of contention for players experiencing technical issues or constant unexpected disconnections, leading to discussions on how to balance fairness with player experience.

Community Response: The discussion around bans in Marvel Rivals extends to community forums like Reddit and Steam, where players share experiences of being banned for seemingly innocuous reasons or discuss the effectiveness of the hero ban system. There’s a mix of frustration over false bans, appreciation for NetEase’s swift action against cheaters, and calls for more nuanced moderation and ban systems.

These topics illustrate the challenges and complexities of managing a large scale, competitive online game, where maintaining a balance between fun, fairness, and community engagement is paramount.