Marvel Rivals Bot Conspiracy Unveiled

While Marvel Rivals continues to dominate both Steam and Twitch charts, a growing concern is casting a shadow over NetEase Games’ acclaimed hero shooter: the suspected use of AI bots in standard gameplay.

Launched in December, the superhero-themed multiplayer title has earned widespread praise for its vibrant art style, fast-paced combat, and dynamic roster of iconic Marvel characters—including Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the newly introduced Fantastic Four. Its success is undeniable, with hundreds of thousands of players logging in daily on Steam alone (via SteamDB). Despite avoiding many of the common pitfalls that plague other hero shooters, the community has raised persistent concerns about the presence of AI-controlled players in what should be fully human-driven matches.

“I know people may feel differently but playing against bots in (Quickplay) just doesn’t feel good at all to me,” one Reddit user commented. “AI should be in AI modes and that’s it.”

Marvel Rivals Tier List: Best Heroes

Like most modern multiplayer titles, Marvel Rivals includes dedicated practice modes featuring AI opponents—commonly referred to as “bots.” These modes allow players to adjust difficulty settings, making them ideal for mastering mechanics, testing new heroes, or unwinding after intense ranked sessions. However, the controversy stems from reports that AI players are appearing in standard Quickplay matches, a mode traditionally reserved for player-versus-player competition.

For weeks, social media platforms have been flooded with user reports suggesting that some Quickplay lobbies are populated with low-skill bot players. Some players even claim their teammates are occasionally replaced by AI, especially following a string of losses. While unconfirmed, the prevailing theory is that NetEase implements these bot-filled matches to reduce queue times and prevent player burnout after repeated defeats—keeping the experience accessible and less frustrating.

However, the lack of transparency from NetEase has only fueled suspicion. The company has not officially acknowledged whether bots are used in Quickplay, nor has it provided any in-game indicators to distinguish AI players from real ones (IGN has reached out for comment). This silence has led players to crowdsource their own detection methods, citing red flags such as repetitive or unnatural movement, identical team naming patterns (e.g., all caps, single words, or split full/half names), and—most notably—enemy player profiles labeled as “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 said. “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 use of bots in multiplayer games isn’t new—titles like Fortnite have faced similar scrutiny for years. In Marvel Rivals, player opinions are divided: some advocate for an optional toggle to enable or disable bot matches, while others demand a complete removal of AI from competitive modes. A smaller group doesn’t mind the bot lobbies, using them to farm specific hero achievements or practice builds without pressure.

Reddit user ciaranxy, who began questioning match integrity shortly after launch, urged the community to speak up: “So, you can choose to believe this is an issue or not – that is your CHOICE,” they wrote. “But – for everyone else – when you press Quickplay, NetEase does not give you a choice.”

If you’ve spent more than a few hours in Marvel Rivals, you’ve likely encountered a suspicious lobby. I personally experienced a Quickplay match exhibiting multiple bot-like traits: rigid movement patterns, uniform team names, and an entire enemy team with restricted profiles—exactly the signs the community has warned about.

As speculation continues, players are exploring creative countermeasures—like using the Invisible Woman to exploit bot behavior. Meanwhile, NetEase remains focused on expansion, with Season 1: Eternal Night Falls introducing the Fantastic Four and promising at least one new hero every half-season (per creative director Guangyun Chen). Later this month, fans can also unlock Peter Parker’s Advanced Suit 2.0 from Marvel’s Spider-Man, further enriching the game’s cosmetic roster.

Whether NetEase addresses the bot controversy or not, one thing is clear: Marvel Rivals is here to stay—but trust in its matchmaking may need to be rebuilt.