Marvel Rivals Retracts Ban on Innocent Players

Marvel Rivals Issues Apology for Unfair Bans; Players Advocate for Rank-Inclusive Character Bans

NetEase, the developer of Marvel Rivals, recently issued a public apology for mistakenly banning a significant number of innocent players. The mass ban, intended to target cheaters, inadvertently flagged numerous non-Windows users employing compatibility layers such as those used on macOS, Linux, and Steam Deck.

The error, acknowledged on the official Discord server, resulted from the anti-cheat system misidentifying compatibility software as cheating programs. NetEase confirmed the resolution of the issue, stating that affected players have had their bans lifted. They emphasized their commitment to addressing cheating while urging players to report any instances of such behavior and utilize the in-game or Discord support channels for appeals against wrongful bans.

This incident highlights the challenges of implementing effective anti-cheat measures without penalizing legitimate players. The Steam Deck's Proton compatibility layer, known for triggering some anti-cheat systems, appears to have contributed to this specific issue.

Separately, a community discussion has emerged regarding the game's character ban system. Currently, this feature, allowing players to strategically remove certain characters from selection, is only available at Diamond rank and above.

Many players, particularly those in lower ranks, express frustration at the rank restriction. Reddit threads highlight the competitive disadvantage this creates, with players arguing that access to character bans across all ranks would enhance gameplay balance, foster strategic diversity, and provide valuable learning opportunities for newer players. While NetEase hasn't yet responded to this feedback, the community's call for a more inclusive character ban system remains prominent.