Marvel Rivals is no stranger to evolution. Whether it’s the addition of new characters like Blade in the upcoming Season 3.5 or tweaks to matchmaking and game balance, NetEase Games is constantly iterating on its popular hero shooter. But there’s one change in particular that has players raising eyebrows, and it’s not in the patch notes.
Wait … did that bot just spray?
Players have taken to Reddit and social media recently to point out some strange, and suspiciously human, behaviour from bots in Marvel Rivals’ Quick Play mode. In one viral post, a user shared a clip of bots swiping at teammates, throwing up sprays, and even using pings. It didn’t take long for the community to catch on: these bots aren’t standing idly by anymore. In fact, many are starting to blend in with real players, showing coordination, movement patterns, and even a bit of flair at the beginning of matches.
Needless to say, this has kicked off a wave of speculation within the Marvel Rivals fandom. Are these smarter bots a deliberate balancing act to fill lobbies faster? Or is NetEase attempting to quietly mask bot behaviour to ensure a more seamless match for players? Some folks believe it’s the latter, and they’re not overly thrilled about it.
Not everyone’s a fan of the bot invasion
Many players are calling for change. The consensus? Keep the bots where they belong: in the Practice VS. AI mode. For a lot of gamers, Quick Play is still seen as a casual but distinctly player-centric experience, and sneaking in bots, even clever ones, just doesn’t sit right.
One Redditor even argued that introducing covertly advanced bots dilutes the core spirit of the mode. “Quick Play should still be a space where human decisions, creativity, and sometimes chaos drive the match — not AI mimicry,” one commenter wrote. It’s a sentiment shared by a growing section of the community.
Smurfing crackdown and bot buffs?
Interestingly, this isn’t the only system-level tweak NetEase Games has made recently. Earlier in Season 3, the devs rolled out an anti-smurfing update designed to flag players abusing alternate accounts for unfair matchmaking advantages. Offenders now receive warnings, and if they persist, they can face seasonal bans from ranked play. While this effort was documented in the patch notes, the rise of smarter bots in Quick Play seems to have quietly slipped in under the radar.
Could the smarter bots be a response to that crackdown? It’s possible. If NetEase is banning smurf accounts from ranked, those players may spend more time in Quick Play, partially justifying the need for tougher — or more human-seeming — bots to maintain competitive engagement.
Community wishlist: female Loki and a better character wheel
Meanwhile, fans are also voicing requests for QoL (Quality of Life) improvements in the game. One of the more passionate demands? A female Loki skin pulled straight from the comics, which players think would be a perfect thematic fit for the current Marvel Rivals roster. Others are eyeing the character selection system, especially the character wheel, as clunky and unintuitive, particularly on consoles. With the roster only expected to grow, many hope NetEase will rework the UI to better accommodate expansion.
More human than human?
Whether you love ’em or hate ’em, the bots in Marvel Rivals are getting smarter, and harder to spot. For some, it’s a welcome move that livens up casual matches. For others, it signals a slippery slope where AI encroaches on spaces meant for unpredictable, flawed (and gloriously chaotic) human play.
For now, all eyes are on the upcoming Season 3.5 update, which will include Blade’s debut and likely a host of other balance updates. Will NetEase address bot behaviour in the patch notes? Time will tell. Until then, keep an eye on your sprays … the bots might be watching.