The Marvel Rivals Bot Conspiracy, Explained

While *Marvel Rivals* continues to dominate the charts on Steam and Twitch, a lingering issue has sparked suspicion among its fanbase: the presence of bots. This superhero-themed competitive multiplayer game, launched by NetEase Games in December, has garnered critical acclaim and fan praise for its engaging style and inventive use of iconic characters such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the recently introduced Fantastic Four. The game has seen tremendous success, with hundreds of thousands of daily players on Steam alone, according to SteamDB. Despite avoiding many common pitfalls in the genre, the integration of AI enemies in various game modes has become a point of contention among players.

"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 where players can face off against AI opponents, commonly known as "bots." These modes allow users to adjust the difficulty to suit their skill level, serving as essential tools for skill improvement and a break from more intense human player matches. However, the game has faced criticism due to the suspected presence of bots in standard Quickplay matches.

For weeks, social media platforms have been inundated with posts from players worried about being matched against low-level bot players, with some also noting that their teammates are occasionally replaced by bots. The exact triggers for these bot matches remain unclear, but a popular theory suggests that *Marvel Rivals* introduces these easier matches following a series of losses to prevent player frustration and expedite matchmaking.

Unfortunately, NetEase has not provided clear information on whether bots are used in Quickplay matches, and the company has remained silent on the issue despite requests for comment from IGN. In the absence of official clarification, players have taken to social media to identify potential signs of bot presence, such as repetitive in-game behavior, uniform naming conventions like all-capital single-word names or split names, and career profiles labeled "restricted."

"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; it has been a topic of discussion in games like Fortnite for years. In *Marvel Rivals*, opinions vary from demanding a toggle option for bot matches to calls for their complete removal. Some players appreciate bot lobbies as opportunities to achieve specific hero milestones. Reddit user ciaranxy, who began questioning some matches shortly after the game's launch, encouraged the community to scrutinize their matches, 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 significant time playing *Marvel Rivals* since its launch, chances are you've encountered one of these suspicious lobbies. I personally experienced a questionable Quickplay match exhibiting several warning signs mentioned by players, including unnatural player movement, similarly formatted names, and multiple restricted profiles among teammates and opponents. We have reached out to NetEase for clarification on these matches and the alleged use of bots in *Marvel Rivals*.

As players continue to investigate the bot issue, you can also learn about how some Marvel Rivals players are using the Invisible Woman to counter bots effectively. Regardless of how NetEase addresses this controversy, the company has exciting 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 look forward to a new skin, Peter Parker’s Advanced Suit 2.0 from Marvel’s Spider-Man, later this month.