NetEase has faced the full force of an angry playerbase after announcing rank resets midway through the season. However, they quickly backtracked on this decision, halting the controversial reset originally planned to take effect on February 21.
The decision to reset ranks in the second half of Season 1 left Marvel Rivals players baffled from the moment it was announced. The reset would have demoted all players by four divisions — for example, a Gold 1 player would have dropped to Silver 2. This raised concerns about disrupting matchmaking balance, potentially turning former Gold 1 players into “smurfs” during low-Elo Silver matches.
Players were well aware of the damage this could cause, as well as how it might undermine the hard work and grind that higher-Elo players had put in over the past few weeks.
That’s why major Marvel Rivals content creators took to social media to voice their concerns. Former Overwatch pro Seagull addressed the issue in a YouTube video, while other creators such as @EskayOW and @b0gur also expressed their frustrations, making it clear they were not fans of the change. Some speculate that their influence, both within the Marvel Rivals community and among their former Overwatch 2 fanbase, played a key role in NetEase's decision to reverse course.
As a result, NetEase responded swiftly, assuring players that mid-season resets would no longer happen. While their initial decision raised eyebrows, their responsiveness has helped maintain the game’s strong and dedicated playerbase, which consistently exceeds 100,000 daily players.
This move reflects NetEase’s commitment to closely following fan feedback, which has made Marvel Rivals increasingly appealing.
Content continues to roll out for the massively popular hero shooter. Recently, the game introduced two new skins: one for Captain America, inspired by his Avengers: Infinity War appearance, and another for Luna Snow, a futuristic outfit called Mirae 2099.
With the second half of Season 1 just days away, upcoming balance changes aim to fine-tune overperforming and underperforming heroes, making the competitive grind even more dynamic. Upcoming heroes like The Human Torch and The Thing are also expected to come out.