It's 2026, and the open secret in the Marvel Rivals community remains just that—an open secret. NetEase has never officially acknowledged the existence of bot-filled lobbies in the game's quick play mode, yet players have known about them for years. The pattern is familiar: suffer a couple of frustrating losses, and suddenly, the next match feels suspiciously effortless. Opponents move with a predictable, mechanical cadence, adorned only in default skins, their profiles freshly minted at level one. It’s the game’s not-so-subtle attempt to cushion the blow of defeat, a consolation prize that many in the community find more insulting than rewarding. Despite widespread calls from players to scrap these artificial matches, Season 3 arrived and departed, and the bots are still very much present. The only evolution? They've gotten smarter and are trying harder to blend in.
The "Human" Touch: Bots in Disguise 🎭
The most noticeable change, as first highlighted by community investigations, is in the bots' pre-game lobby behavior. Gone are the days of them standing completely still like statues in a gallery. Now, they attempt to mimic human players. You might see them:
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Pacing around the spawn area before the match begins.
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Throwing out basic attacks near teammates, like a clumsy actor rehearsing lines alone in a mirror.
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Placing down spray tags on walls or the ground.
However, their performance is far from convincing. Their actions follow a rigid, alternating pattern—attack, spray, stand still—that feels as artificial as a wind-up toy soldier going through its limited motions. They remain shackled to default cosmetics and Level 1 accounts, their digital emptiness a dead giveaway. To add another layer of uncanny valley, there are reports that these bots might even be pilfering the names of real players from the database, creating ghostly doppelgängers in matchmaking.
Smarter, But Not Smarter Enough 🧠⚔️
Beyond lobby theatrics, players report that the in-game AI has received a subtle upgrade. The bots in 2026 are no longer just target practice dummies. There's a noticeable, if incremental, increase in their combat effectiveness:
| Old Bot Behavior (Pre-Season 3) | New Bot Behavior (2026) |
|---|---|
| Wandered aimlessly around the map | Shows slightly better pathfinding and grouping |
| Ignored objective points completely | Makes occasional, albeit clumsy, attempts to contest the objective |
| Offered almost zero resistance | Can now land a few more shots, providing a faint semblance of a fight |
Despite these improvements, the core experience remains unchanged. Winning a bot match is still a foregone conclusion—a victory that feels as hollow and unearned as finding a trophy you bought for yourself. The challenge is predictable, their strategies as transparent as cellophane. The upgrade feels less like an evolution and more like putting a more sophisticated puppet on the same old strings.
Why Are Bots Still Here? The Unspoken Strategy 🤫
The persistence of this system, now over a year after it was widely criticized, speaks volumes. NetEase's continued refinement of bot behavior, without ever admitting they exist, is a clear indicator. The bots are a deliberate design feature, not a bug or a temporary measure. Their purpose seems multifaceted:
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Player Retention Cushion: They act as a psychological buffer against losing streaks, hoping to prevent frustration from leading to players quitting for the day.
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Queue Time Filler: They ensure quick play matches start rapidly, even at odd hours or for players with unstable MMR, by populating empty slots.
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A Controlled Experience: They provide a low-stress environment for absolute beginners or players trying a new hero, though this is debated as it sets unrealistic expectations for real PvP.
The community's main grievance isn't just the existence of bots, but the deception and the diminished value of a win. A match should feel like a contest, not a scheduled handout.
Quick Play vs. Competitive: The Bot Divide ⚖️
Thankfully, this issue remains largely confined to the Quick Play arena. The competitive ranked mode appears to be a bot-free zone, and for good reason. Introducing AI players into ranked matches would be catastrophic:
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Rank Inflation: It would utterly distort the ladder, making ranks meaningless. A win against a bot squad would be as impactful as a win against real players, bloating everyone's rating.
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Competitive Integrity: The core appeal of a ranked mode is testing your skill against equally skilled human opponents. Bot matches would shatter that integrity completely.
So, while players must endure the occasional patronizing "free win" in Quick Play, they can at least take solace that their losing streaks in competitive are authentically, frustratingly human.
The Community's Verdict: A Hollow Victory 🏆
The consensus in 2026 is one of resigned acceptance peppered with annoyance. Players have adapted to spotting the bots—their rhythmic movements in the lobby are as telling as a metronome in a silent room. The "smarter" bots are seen not as a solution, but as a more polished version of the same problem. NetEase's silence on the matter is interpreted as a firm commitment to this hidden system. For now, the cycle continues: lose a few, get a bot game that feels as satisfying as eating cotton candy for dinner—sweet momentarily, but ultimately devoid of substance. The hope for a truly bot-free Quick Play experience seems, for now, to be on hold indefinitely.