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Not even 24 hours after we published an article about the site where Marvel Rivals players can name alleged throwers and place a bounty on them, the game's developer, NetEase, has issued a statement on the situation. 

On the site formerly known as Twitter, the official Marvel Rivals account wrote, "We have recently identified a disturbing trend within our community: 'incentivized throwing,' where players are enticed by third-party bounties to deliberately sabotage matches. This behavior not only undermines the integrity of our game but also tarnishes the experience for honest players who are committed to fair competition.

In light of this, we want to make our position clear: We maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy against any form of malicious disruption. To combat this issue, we are implementing a specialized investigation protocol focused on identifying and addressing negative gameplay linked to these external bounties. Accounts found to be violating our policies will face serious repercussions, including, but not limited to, permanent bans. We strongly advise players against jeopardizing their valuable accounts and hard-earned progress for the sake of temporary incentives.

Moreover, to reinforce the principles of fair competition, we have enhanced our regulations regarding 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."

The post urged players to "utilize the reporting feature immediately" because their "reports are crucial and will be thoroughly investigated by our dedicated team." I will emphasize that in order to report a player for throwing in Marvel Rivals, you must also provide the replay ID for the match where the throwing occurred. If you're playing on console and/or don't have an eidetic memory, this might be an obstacle, which is why I encourage you to take a photo of or write down the match's replay ID, which you can then refer to when you submit your report. It takes a smidge longer, but it's worth it when it comes to maintaining a positive community in this game. 

It's also worth noting that one of the players in the match that I reported on yesterday - called Send 5 I Throw - has now been permabanned from the game (at least, until September 2, 2126). Some of the other throwers in the match have only been banned for a month, though, and I wouldn't be surprised if those accounts are also secondary alt accounts, so that if they do get permabanned, the player still has their main account to safely return to. 

Listen, I'm just a Diamond I console player, but I wonder if it's worth it for NetEase to consider IP address or hardware bans, not just account bans, so that throwers have a significant hurdle to overcome if they're really that dead set on being negative in Marvel Rivals. 

So, how has the fan-created thrower bounty site responded? As of this time of writing, the site has a message that states, "We're reworking the platform. We've identified aspects of the platform that don't align with our intended vision. We're taking time to rework the experience before moving forward. There is no ETA on when we'll be back. If we make the decision not to return, all unclaimed paid bounties will be fully refunded to their original payment method." 

We've identified aspects of the platform that don't align with our intended vision, really? Wow. 

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