The game Marvel Rivals continues to face significant stability issues, including frequent crashes and disconnects on both PC and console platforms. Designed using Unreal Engine 5, NetEase’s choice of technology has not only led to an unstable gaming experience but has also failed to deliver marked improvements in graphical quality. This situation places the onus of troubleshooting largely on the player community, particularly impacting those on PC. Crashes disrupt not just the player affected but also all participants in the match, leading to unfair penalties for teammates and an exaggerated sense of skill for the winning team.
These connectivity issues have persisted through season zero and into the current season one. However, there is an opportunity for NetEase to enhance the performance and overall gameplay experience of Marvel Rivals. Implementing stability patches could alleviate some of the full-game crashes and character locks that affect numerous players. Additionally, moderating the severity of in-match auto-disconnects would be beneficial. If a match consists of 12 players, it’s reasonable to expect that their connections should already be reliable.
Unreal Engine 5: A Work in Progress
Unreal Engine 4 Might Have Been Sufficient
As Marvel Rivals is developed on Unreal Engine 5, which has been available to developers only since 2022, it reflects cutting-edge technology from Epic Games. However, that does not mean that players are adequately equipped to handle the demands of this advancement. The game, being free-to-play, attracts a broad audience, including those with setups that may not meet the optimal specifications, often closer to the capabilities of the previous console generation, such as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Some players are operating on minimum specs, resulting in subpar performance.
The lengthy relaunch process further complicates issues post-crash. Upon restarting, users are met with a launcher rather than a direct game load, followed by a series of prompts that include shader compilation, logos, health warnings, and a login interface. As a result, players attempting to rejoin a match after a crash often find themselves unable to reconnect.
Discussions about game performance and specific crashes are prevalent in the Marvel Rivals Steam forums. Numerous players advocate for settings adjustments, such as activating ultra-performance mode, playing in a windowed configuration, and capping the frame rate at 60 FPS. While these measures may reduce crash occurrences, they do not eliminate them entirely.
Rejoin Rules and Penalty Systems: Striking the Right Balance
Limited Rejoin Opportunities
Marvel Rivals imposes a strict time limit for players to rejoin matches after a disconnect, resulting in penalties that are often deemed excessive. While the rules are somewhat relaxed in Quickplay compared to Competitive modes, the total grace period remains minimal, making it challenging for players to reconnect effectively. Additionally, inconsistencies arise concerning when a match will be canceled rather than allowing a 6v5 scenario to persist. Often, this judgment relies on a player’s in-game actions, such as failing to deal damage or remaining inactive.
While Quickplay modes offer a slightly more forgiving environment, players still face the risk of facing issues such as joining mid-match and encountering bugs, which can culminate in frustrating outcomes—like matches concluding during a load screen and requiring a game restart.
Disconnecting due to technical difficulties may still result in temporary bans, loss of rank points, and a negative reputation among fellow players, with some opting to add disconnected players to their avoid lists. It would greatly benefit Marvel Rivals if developers could enhance systems to distinguish between genuine disconnects and intentional quits. A possible solution could involve refunding rank points for players who submit verified Unreal Engine 5 crash reports, but this would necessitate an efficient Community Management team.
For those who intentionally leave a game, the remaining team should not be forced to concede defeat so easily. While there may not be an ideal fix for these issues, a more stringent penalty for quitters, combined with a points reset for their team and an additional small bonus for the opposing team, could foster a fairer competitive environment.
Leave a Reply