Marvel Rivals Dev Vision Vol. 2 Addressed "Anti-Cheat Measures," New Maps & More

With all the recent daily news announcements that Marvel Rivals developer NetEase Games has continuously delivered, the developer released their second Developer Vision update video. The video was uploaded to the official Marvel Rivals YouTube channel on 24th November 2024, presented by Marvel Rivals' Lead Combat Designer, Zhiyong, who discussed a vast array of topics central to its gameplay and support from launch and beyond.

In addition, the Developer Vision update also provided an opportunity for new announcements, which was revealed in this specific Dev Vision update and should delight players when the game launches. While Dev Vision Vol. 1 highlighted Season 0's main storyline and confirmed the addition of a Season Pass, Monetization outlook, and localization support, Vol. 2 focused on their approach to "game experience optimizations," Anti-Cheat systems, and more core gameplay features and updates.

First on order is balance updates to various heroes, which, based on the data acquired from the Closed Beta Test (CBT) and player feedback, they've adjusted certain characters to reign "in the raw power" of playable characters like Magneto while bolstering the combat kits for Jeff the Baby Land Shark and Loki. This also extended to new playable characters, which haven't specified which characters, but these adjustments ensure a "fair experience" when players jump in at the game's launch and beyond.

The developer will also add a compendium on the official Marvel Rivals website, detailing every hero's data, from their abilities to important combat data, including win rates and pick/draft rates. There is no estimated timeframe on when this hero data pack will be live on the Marvel Rivals website, but as they will be collecting combat data and statistics for every character following its launch, they will update players on the availability of this "dossier" sometime soon.

Regarding forthcoming game optimizations that are being planned for Marvel Rivals at launch and post-launch to ensure players have a smooth yet "fair experience" in-game. These optimizations span across several core gameplay aspects from combat responsiveness, information delivery, and key gameplay functionalities, which, according to the game's Lead Combat Designer, "encompasses everything" from their "earliest heroes" and recent additions.

Character actions have fine-tuned their transitions, especially for their "larger-than-life" actions for heroes like the Hulk and Magik, and specific hit effects and elemental decals have been adjusted, which has been stated to "make them more visible over longer distances" to make attacks more impactful. Likewise, the developer has also addressed what they've dubbed the "hierarchy" of visual effects by reorganizing it, likely based on some form of priority for added chaos during matches, and soundscapes also gained some adjustments, which players should be on the lookout for.

There are new tweaks made to the game's UI, including specific hero UI and new "clear reload prompts," which they can alert their team before unleashing their character's powerful attacks. The developer also detailed some tweaks made to its map system, which includes new refinements and enhanced performance optimizations, which will be shipped at launch.

In addition, new maps will be added throughout Season 0 for Quick Match and Competitive game modes, Conquest, and Practise Range. Already confirmed are the Birnin T'Challa map and the Hall of Djalia located within the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, which are now confirmed maps for the Domination and Convergence modes.

First revealed in Hawkeye's character reveal demo is the Hydra Charteris Base: Hell's Heaven, which is another map for the Domination mode where players will battle it out right "into the volcanic heart of Antarctica" with some hidden map shifts coming into play. Lastly, for Venom mains within the Rivals player base, the symbiote planet of Klyntar is heading to Marvel Rivals with a new map, Klyntar: Symbiotic Surface, which will be a Convergence map and allows players to interact with the map by engaging the symbiotes to manipulate the map in unique ways.

Tokyo 2099 will play host to another Conquest map, Warped Ninomaru, where environments and debris destroyed during matches will get absorbed by a portal hovering over Tokyo 2099. As for the Practise Range map, in which players can gain a better understanding of their chosen hero's combat kit, but the developer has remained mum on this map's design and layout for the time being.

Lastly, on the subject of Anti-Cheat systems, to best guarantee that every player across all platforms has a safe and fair gameplay experience at launch, the developer has implemented a "cutting-edge anti-cheating system" during their last CBT to prevent players from utilizing "unfair exploits" and displaying "dishonest behavior." This saw the developer issue "appropriate penalties," such as banning players for an average of seven games during the CBT, and have sustained keeping incidents of this nature under the 1% mark, which was extended to consoles.

They're currently working on "developing detection methods" for cheating behavior, and they've expressed that they've made significant strides in its development. They've promised players they'll remain steadfast to "upholding fair play and ensuring an even playing field for everyone" in-game.