Marvel Rivals Issues Apology for Unfair Bans; Players Advocate for Expanded Character Ban Feature

NetEase, the developer of Marvel Rivals, recently issued a public apology for mistakenly banning numerous innocent players. The incident involved a large-scale ban wave targeting suspected cheaters, which inadvertently flagged several players utilizing compatibility layer programs on non-Windows systems.

Affected players using Mac, Linux, and Steam Deck reported being unfairly banned. NetEase acknowledged the error, stating that players using compatibility software like Proton (on SteamOS) were incorrectly identified as cheaters. The developer has since reversed the bans and apologized for the inconvenience. They encouraged players to report genuine cheating behavior and utilize the in-game or Discord support channels for appeals against wrongful bans.

Separately, a significant portion of the Marvel Rivals community is calling for the expansion of the in-game character ban feature. Currently, this feature—allowing players to ban specific characters from selection—is only available in Diamond rank and above. Players in lower ranks express frustration, arguing that the absence of character bans creates an uneven playing field and limits strategic diversity.

Reddit users have voiced their concerns, highlighting the impact of overpowered characters on lower-ranked gameplay. They argue that extending the ban system to all ranks would not only improve fairness but also serve as a valuable learning tool for newer players, encouraging more diverse team compositions beyond simple DPS-focused strategies. While NetEase has yet to publicly respond to these concerns, the community's feedback underscores a desire for more balanced and strategically engaging gameplay across all skill levels.