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Summary
- NetEase Games is enforcing penalties for smurfing in Marvel Rivals.
- Many players seem to be enjoying the Season 3 battle pass, which includes 10 new skins.
- The Season 3 road map reveals upcoming swimsuit skins and a Fantastic Four collaboration with the MCU.
It appears as if NetEase Games is taking unprecedented action against Marvel Rivals players that may be smurfing, as a new message being issued to people suspected of breaking the rules warns of significant consequences. Smurfing has been an issue in Marvel Rivals since the title’s launch in December 2024, and it seems that NetEase Games will be taking the issue quite seriously going forward.
Smurfing typically involves a skilled player who has likely climbed very high up the ranked ladder of Marvel Rivals. This person then creates a new account to face off against opponents in lower ranks. Often, this allows the offending player to go on a winning streak, climbing ranks again incredibly fast as they defeat opponents at lower skill levels with ease. While this may not seem like a big issue at first, it can ruin the game for those trying to engage in ranked play earnestly. If it happens enough, some people may quit playing the popular hero shooter entirely.

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In a recent post on Reddit, Asphyxiem shared an image of a warning NetEase Games appears to be issuing to players the system flags as smurfing during Season 3 of Marvel Rivals. The warning states that the game’s system has detected that the account is smurfing, and it urges the player to stop this activity immediately. While the warning doesn’t share any specifics, it does state that continuing to break that game’s rules will result in further penalties. It’s anybody’s guess as to what the penalties could include, though many people suspect it would involve suspensions and bans. The warning also encourages the player to reach out to customer support if there’s an issue.
Marvel Rivals Is Cracking Down on Smurfing
Season 3 appears to be off to a great start, as many people seem to be quite happy with the new battle pass in Marvel Rivals. The pass is filled with fresh cosmetics for people to enjoy, such as new symbiote-themed costumes for Squirrel Girl, Jeff the Land Shark, Spider-Man, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot. Meanwhile, some characters have been given a Phoenix Force makeover, giving heroes like Emma Frost and Wolverine fierce new skins.
Marvel Rivals also revealed a road map for Season 3, which gave players a first look at what they can expect to see during the first half of the season. In the coming weeks, it seems as if gamers will see new swimsuit skins, a collaboration with the film The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and fresh costumes for Magik and Black Panther. In addition, it was revealed that Season 3.5 will be launching on August 8, which is when players should be able to get their hands on Blade. With a whole new season to enjoy and even more content just around the corner, many fans are feeling optimistic about the future of Marvel Rivals.

Marvel Rivals
9/10
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
- NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
- NetEase Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5