As *Marvel Rivals* continues to dominate the Steam and Twitch charts, a growing concern among fans revolves around the presence of bots in NetEase Games' latest hero shooter. Launched in December, the game quickly earned critical acclaim and fan appreciation for its unique style and engaging use of iconic characters such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the newly added Fantastic Four. With hundreds of thousands of daily players on Steam alone (via SteamDB), *Marvel Rivals* has largely avoided common pitfalls in the competitive gaming genre. However, the implementation of AI enemies across various game modes has become a hot topic of discussion among its community.
“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 HeroesMarvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes
Similar to other multiplayer titles of the past 15 years, *Marvel Rivals* includes practice modes where players face off against AI-controlled "bots." These modes allow players to adjust the difficulty of their opponents, serving as a valuable resource for skill development or a relaxed break from competitive play. However, the real issue arises with the alleged presence of bots in standard Quickplay matches, which is causing unrest among the player base.
Over the past few weeks, social media has been buzzing with reports from players who suspect they are matched against low-level bot players, sometimes even finding bots on their own team. While the exact triggers for these bot matches remain unclear, a popular theory suggests that *Marvel Rivals* might be using bots to offer easier matches to players after consecutive losses. This could prevent players from feeling discouraged enough to quit the game and reduce wait times for Quickplay matches.
Unfortunately, NetEase has not provided clear information on the presence of bots in Quickplay, leading to speculation and frustration. Social media is rife with discussions and posts attempting to identify signs of bots, such as repetitive in-game behavior, uniform naming conventions like all caps or single words, and restricted career profiles. One Reddit user expressed frustration, saying, “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. 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 concerns voiced in games like *Fortnite*. In *Marvel Rivals*, some players are advocating for the ability to toggle bot matches on or off, while others demand their complete removal. A smaller group finds value in bot lobbies as a means to achieve specific hero-related goals. Reddit user ciaranxy, who questioned some of their matches post-launch, urged the community to stay vigilant, 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 more than a few hours playing *Marvel Rivals* since its launch, you might have encountered one of these suspicious lobbies yourself. My own experience confirms running into a questionable Quickplay match with telltale signs of bots, including unnatural player movements, uniform naming patterns, and multiple restricted profiles. We have reached out to NetEase for further clarification on these bot-related concerns in *Marvel Rivals*.
While the community continues to investigate and discuss the presence of bots, you can learn more about how some players are using the Invisible Woman to counteract bots. 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 committed to releasing at least one new hero every half-season, and fans can look forward to a new skin later this month featuring Peter Parker’s Advanced Suit 2.0 from Marvel’s Spider-Man.
