It's no secret that it's competitive Marvel Rivals matches have been painful for many lately. Part of this is due to general video game toxicity that will never be fixed by any game and requires a change in the entire culture. Leavers, casters, trolls, chat abusers and cheaters are unfortunately a part of any online game, something that can be amplified in free-to-play titles as there is no risk of bad actors being banned. However, there are other issues with the game such as NetEase Can fixes, one of which is DPS insta lock causing shortage of other required roles.
Marvel Rivals players have experienced several strikes at this time; first a strategist strike after streamer Necros took shots at the role and healers felt undervalued, and more recently, a Vanguard strike. While these protests have had varying degrees of impact on the game, the argument behind Vanguard is a particularly good one. Tank players are frankly tired of being left to solo tank when another Vanguard can make a world of difference, as it puts a lot of pressure on them every game and sees them take all the blame when things go wrong. If Marvel Rivals want to fix this problem, the answer is simple enough: role queue. However, not everyone will be on board with the addition, although others will surely feel it's time to rip off the band-aid.
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Some Marvel Rivals players love not having a role queue, but right now change is a must …all those bad matches will add up, and if players have to continue to endure streaks of bad matches instead of waiting for a couple of matches that feel good, they might be just as likely to quit
The two arguments against role queue up Marvel Rivals has been discussed ad nauseam. First, players like having the freedom to create odd comps and flex into whatever role is needed at the moment. Running all the strategists can be entertaining, especially when the other team is surprised and crumbles due to the weird lineup. And in theory, players being able to communicate with each other and switch roles is a boon. But in reality, outside of high-level gaming, that freedom is simply not used to its full potential.
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In anything below Grandmaster, it's much more likely to find 3-4 players locking Duelist and refusing to switch to what the team needs, and striking out when asked to switch, than to see true coordination. For the lone Vanguard who has to do all the tanking, or the lone strategist who gets baffled for not healing enough despite being left on his own to support an entire team, the matchup instantly becomes a chore. In low-mid, miserable matches happen due to no role queue all the time, and that's something high-ranked players don't realize because they're playing with other skilled, experienced teammates. While every player being able to flex is fantastic for those in the upper part of Marvel Rivalsfor the average player, it's more likely to get stuck with a bunch of Duelist networks and face an uphill battle as a result.
The other key argument against role queues in Marvel Rivals is matchmaking time, and it's undoubtedly a fair one. Games like Marathon have suffered from long search times, while finding a game in Monitoring itself obviously takes longer because there is a role queue. Those opposed to the role gender argue that spending time waiting for matches may cause many players to abandon the game, as casuals will have become accustomed to how quickly they can enter Marvel Rivals matches. If one match is a mess, at least they'll be in another quickly, right? But all those bad matches will add up, and if players have to continue to endure streaks of bad matches instead of waiting for a couple of matches that feel good, they may be just as likely to quit. This is especially true in a competitive environment, because while a desire for quick quick-play matches makes perfect sense, many players would probably prefer to wait a bit when there's actually something going on.
Marvel Rivals needs some sort of role queue, but it doesn't have to be as strict as Overwatch
For balanced games where players don't have to deal with 1-4-1 setups, it would be great to see NetEase embrace some sort of role queue. 2-2-2 matchups tend to work very well, so it might be the way forward for purely competitive players, while quick play keeps the existing approach. Alternatively, maybe Marvel Rivals could only put a cap on roles; no more than 3 duelists, for example, could make a world of difference. Vanguards and strategists can be capped at 2, which would also kill the annoying triple support meta. Regardless of which path is taken, however, some form of change is on the way. That's true Marvel Rivals has created a “casual first” environment, but if it's going to have a competitive mode at all, it needs to actually feel competitive. When a community is full of toxic players, giving these bad actors no limits guarantees trouble for those who just want a good, competitive game. It is time to Marvel Rivals gave its ranked mode a bit more structure, as with the way things are now, many matches are over right at the hero select screen.
- Released
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December 6, 2024
- ESRB
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T for Teens // Violence
- Developer
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NetEase Games
- Publisher
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NetEase Games
