Marvel Rivals is one of the most popular titles in the multiplayer game right now, and that’s largely because NetEase has built a lot of goodwill by giving players a steady stream of new content and actively responding to feedback. The most recent example is how it retracted its decision to implement a mid-season rank reset, which overwhelmingly enraged players and led to pushback.
The developers had previously announced that despite the start of each season already including a seven division rank reset, there would also be a mid-season rank reset of four divisions, making for a total of 11 rank divisions dropped per season. According to the devs, this was because two heroes (The Thing and Human Torch) are being added along with some “major balance adjustments” that will “shake up the battlefield”.
Now, according to a new dev post, there will be no mid-season rank reset at all, but players will still need to complete ten matches in competitive mode and “meet the relevant conditions by the end of the season” to earn the rewards for the second half of Season 1.
Future seasons will presumably still have a rank drop of six divisions instead of seven.
Why Were Marvel Rivals Players So Upset?
If you’re a long-time live-service game player, you’re likely already familiar with the many ways their developers will try to rope you in for the long haul. One of the most common ways is by making ranking up a grind. While it’s arguably easier to rank up in Marvel Rivals just by putting in the hours, it’s still an incredibly time-intensive hobby. Most gainfully employed people simply don’t have the time to grind ranks all day, every day. That means that many people just weren’t going to have the time to reach the ranks they did before.
Trying to rank up can be particularly brutal for solo players without a reliable team, like me.
NetEase was trying to coerce its players into continuing to play regularly by putting in not one, but two resets per season, which means that taking a break from the game could force you into a much lower ranking than you were before you stopped, which incentivises players to never stop playing.
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There’s also another obvious pain point for players of all skill levels here: matchmaking was going to be borked for a week or two. If, like me, you suck at Marvel Rivals and didn’t have that many tiers to drop in the first place, you were going to be stomped by players who are much better than you for a bit until those people ranked back up to where they were. Or, if you’re just starting to play competitive mode in Marvel Rivals, you’d be seeing more experienced ranked players getting matched with people who haven’t played it all that much.
There was also no real reason to play until the mid-season reset if you’re in Silver rank or lower because you’ll get drop kicked to the bottom anyway unless you were intent on reaching Gold for the free cosmetic.
And even if you are good, you weren’t going to be having fun either unless you particularly enjoy steamrolling noobs. The matches you get put in aren’t necessarily going to be even or competitive, and if the resets are going to happen this often, people will never settle into ranks appropriate for them and get consistently good, fun matches with people of similar skill levels.
Are There Alternatives To Constant Rank Resets?
The fact remains that Marvel Rivals will have quite a few rank resets a year, even without the mid-season ones. It’s a relief to have them less often, and it’s a good sign that the decision was reversed so quickly, but the fact that rank resets will still happen every season points to one of Rivals’ biggest problems in comp.
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Resets can be necessary, especially with a game like Rivals that’s adding new characters and adjusting balance as it does so, but if it happens too often it can just be an inconvenience. Rivals does have quite a lot of rank inflation in comparison to other similar games, because it allows you to rank up with a lower win rate – resets are also a way to manage this, but end up with the trade off of uneven matchmaking. The alternative might be to make it harder to rank up, but this would likely lead to a lot of frustrated players who feel like they can’t progress in competitive mode.
Another alternative might be to implement placement matches instead of a flat rank reset, because everybody starts at Bronze 3 regardless of skill level and has to grind their way out. As far as we know, the game doesn’t estimate your skill level to match you more appropriately with similarly skilled players, and placement matches might help to mitigate this frustration.
Players have also suggested that a hero ban in lower ranks might help.
Other games like League of Legends and Apex Legends use rank decay to keep inactive players from sitting in high ranks without playing, which would still incentivise people to keep playing without creating the uneven matchmaking that a flat rank reset would. Of course, this comes with its own problems, but so do rank resets.
There’s no one right solution, unfortunately. Every comp player in every game has their own feelings about how ranks are managed, but at the very least, Rivals players seem to be very happy about the speed with which the decision was reversed and that they’re being listened to at all. Whether NetEase will find a middle ground with managing rank inflation or not will have to be seen in the future, as the game grows beyond its first few months.
Marvel Rivals is a Super Hero Team-Based PVP Shooter!
Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe!
A Deep and Varied Marvel Roster
Choose from a vast array of fan-favorite and cult-classic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains from across the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and many more from across the Marvel Multiverse.
Fast and Fun 6v6 Action with Ever-Changing Game Dynamics
With intricate environments, fast-paced gameplay, and ever-changing battlefields, there’s never a dull moment in Marvel Rivals! Battle as Super Heroes and Super Villains with incredible abilities and combine your powers to bring unexpected fun to the battlefield in a matter of seconds.
Dynamic Hero Synergy
Coordinate unique combinations between characters to ignite surprising Team-Up Skills! Unleash the synergy of combined superpowers and invent new tactics that can turn the tide of combat. Ride on Groot’s back as Rocket Raccoon to take on your enemies as a dangerous duo, unleash Gamma energy as Hulk to charge Iron Man’s armor for massive damage, and so much more!
Creative Environment Destruction
Tear your way through iconic Marvel worlds across destructible environments! From Asgard to the Tokyo of 2099, use superpowers to alter these environments, reshape the terrain, and craft a strategic advantage on the battlefield! Take cover to dodge attacks or use makeshift weapons to strike down enemies. Players will find countless ways to utilize the environment to claim victory!
Continually Evolving Universe and Robust Post-Launch Updates
The Marvel Multiverse brings infinite possibilities! Each seasonal drop will introduce new Super Heroes to the battlefield along with challenging and diverse maps! Unlock new content to implement across various gameplay strategies while experiencing thrilling action and endless possibilities in these adventurous team battles!