Marvel Rivals launches new "anti-throwing" tech with compensation for victims

In the wake of the Marvel Rivals controversy around a website that offered to pay players to deliberately sabotage matches, NetEase is rolling out a "comprehensive upgrade" to its anti-throwing measures. The new system brings together automatic and manual reviews to help catch people who are maliciously disrupting the multiplayer game, and will award compensation for your lost ranked points if it determines your game was thrown by a teammate.

The website Intlist, which first appeared on February 23, allowed players to post bounties on throwers and cheaters, encouraging others to queue into the same lobbies as them and throw (intentionally lose) the game as a 'punishment.' In response, the Marvel Rivals team issued a statement emphasizing its "strict zero-tolerance policy against any form of malicious disruption." It adds, "This behavior not only undermines the integrity of our game but also tarnishes the experience for honest players who are committed to fair competition."

Following this public crackdown, the developer says it has "received an overwhelming amount of feedback and suggestions from the community," and thanks players for their opinions. "Our team is ready to roll out a comprehensive upgrade to our anti-throwing measures," it writes. This involves two parts: detection and compensation.

"We've implemented a brand-new detection system across all servers," NetEase explains. "This system uses a combination of big data analysis and manual review to enhance the detection of malicious throwing behavior. Once violations are confirmed, offending accounts will face strict additional penalties." It has previously stated that rule-breakers "will face serious repercussions including, but not limited to, permanent bans."

Alongside this comes the compensation system. "To preserve match integrity, we're introducing the Victim Compensation Protocol. If your match loss and points deduction were caused by a teammate's confirmed malicious behavior, the system will automatically restore lost points. You'll receive an in-game mail notification once compensation has been issued."

In an attempt "to reinforce the principles of fair competition," the developer has also firmed up its regulations around negative gameplay. "Accounts found to be engaging in disruptive behaviors, such as malicious idling (AFK) or intentionally throwing matches, will incur significant penalties following reporting and verification."

NetEase encourages players to continue submitting reports for any violations you encounter. "Stay vigilant, keep fighting for justice, and let's defend the integrity of our Chronoverse, side by side," it concludes.

The Intlist website is still live, although its creator has removed the bounties and payments system. Currently in its place is a single message explaining that the site will transition "to a completely free documentation platform." It adds, "We're happy to see game developers taking a stronger stance on a problem the community has cared deeply about."