Marvel Rivals Developer Issues Warning Over 'Malicious Idling' and Intentional Game-Throwing, Cites 'Disturbing Trend' in Player Base

NetEase Games, the developer behind Marvel Rivals, has spoken out against what it describes as a 'disturbing trend' of 'incentivized throwing.' This practice involves players being lured by third-party bounties to deliberately sabotage matches, undermining the game's competitive integrity.

Concerns were raised last month by the Marvel Rivals community, prompting calls for action after the launch of an unofficial bounty website. Fans of the hero shooter grew alarmed when Intlist.org went live on February 22. Created by Marvel Rivals content creator and X/Twitter user EchoRivals, the site aimed to allow players to identify and place bounties on those who intentionally throw or disrupt multiplayer games.

In a now-deleted post on its X account, Intlist promoted a system offering an 80% payout to players who successfully throw matches in retaliation, with the message: 'Put a bounty on griefers & throwers. Someone queues in, throws it back, gets paid.' This led to reports from players, including one Reddit user who noted a surge in sabotaged matches, warning that 'now every game is people throwing each other’s games.' In response to criticism, the Intlist account defended its approach, stating: 'Collateral damage is an unfortunate reality of war.'

In an official statement released on the Marvel Rivals Discord, NetEase has now threatened permanent bans for players who engage with such external bounties. The developer emphasized its commitment to maintaining a fair and enjoyable gaming environment.

Intlist was taken offline last month, with EchoRivals hinting at 'something big is coming' and citing 'unauthorized access to our database from a single bad actor' as the reason for the shutdown. On March 5, EchoRivals updated the Intlist Discord, announcing that the website will remain offline 'for the time being,' adding: 'No ETA on when/if we will be back. This was my decision.'