NetEase Games has clamped down more forcefully on smurfing in its hit game, Marvel Rivals. The game, which has been riddled with the common problem of smurfing since its launch in December 2024, has seen high-ranking players open new accounts to occupy lower-level competitive games in an unfair manner. Smurfing contradicts the very essence of ranked play, upsetting genuine competitors and disrupting the overall gaming experience.
In Season 3 currently, NetEase Games has begun issuing explicit warnings to players who are found smurfing as reported. These warnings explicitly tell the players that the system in the game has detected such and highly advise stopping immediately. Though the warnings lack mandatory penalties, they state that constant disregarding of the game rules will result in harsher measures, with the majority within the gaming population waiting in anticipation for punitive measures like temporary banning of their accounts or bans for life. Players who feel that they have been unfairly flagged are asked to contact support for a review.
In spite of the ever-present nuisance of smurfing, overall reception of Marvel Rivals’ Season 3 seems to be overwhelmingly positive. Users have shown a great amount of excitement over the new battle pass, which contains ten new skins for characters along with plenty of new cosmetic items. Symbiote-themed costumes for Squirrel Girl, Jeff the Land Shark, Spider-Man, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot are among the popular picks.
To finish it off, there have been spectacular Phoenix Force revamps for Emma Frost and Wolverine. The map that has been revealed for Season 3 maintains the hype train rolling, such as future swimsuit skins, co-op event for the “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” movie, and fresh designs for Magik and Black Panther. Sometime later in the future, the release of Season 3.5 on August 8 will bring us the highly anticipated character, Blade. This consistent flow of fresh content has provided some optimism with the player base as to the overall health of the game.