While Marvel Rivals continues to dominate the charts on Steam and Twitch, a growing concern among fans is the presence of bots in NetEase Games' latest hero shooter. Launched in December, the game has garnered critical acclaim and widespread fan appreciation for its unique style and the innovative use of iconic characters such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the recently introduced Fantastic Four. Despite its success, with hundreds of thousands of daily players on Steam alone (via SteamDB), Marvel Rivals has not escaped scrutiny over its use 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," shared one Reddit user. "AI should be in AI modes and that’s it."
### Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best HeroesMarvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes
Similar to other multiplayer games over the past 15 years, Marvel Rivals includes practice modes where players face off against bots, allowing them to adjust the difficulty to their preference. These modes are essential for skill improvement and providing a break from the intensity of matches against human opponents. However, the game has faced criticism for the alleged presence of bots in standard Quickplay matches.
For weeks, social media has been abuzz with posts from players suspecting they are matched against low-level bots, with some even noticing their teammates being replaced by AI. The prevailing theory suggests that Marvel Rivals might introduce these easier matches after a series of losses to prevent player frustration and reduce queue times. However, NetEase has not provided clear information on whether bots are indeed part of Quickplay, leaving players to speculate and share their observations online.
Players have identified several signs that might indicate a bot match, including repetitive in-game behavior, similar naming conventions among teammates (such as all capital letters or split names), and restricted career profiles for all 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 expressed. "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, some players advocate for an option to toggle bot matches, while others demand their complete removal. Conversely, a segment of the community appreciates the occasional bot lobby as a chance to achieve specific hero milestones. Reddit user ciaranxy, who began questioning their matches post-launch, encouraged the community to stay vigilant. "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 significant time playing Marvel Rivals since its launch, chances are you've encountered one of these questionable lobbies. I can personally confirm experiencing at least one suspicious Quickplay match that exhibited the telltale signs of bots, including unnatural player movements, similar naming patterns, and restricted profiles across the board. We have reached out to NetEase for clarification on these matches and the alleged use of bots in Marvel Rivals.
As the gaming community continues to investigate the bot issue, some players have found creative ways to counter them, such as using Invisible Woman to halt bots in their tracks (learn more here). Despite this controversy, NetEase is looking forward to a promising 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 look forward to a new skin, Peter Parker’s Advanced Suit 2.0 from Marvel’s Spider-Man, later this month.
