The muted glow of the monitor illuminated his face as he watched his hero stand motionless, racking up points. It felt wrong, but everyone was doing it. Now, that shortcut to glory might cost players everything they’ve built in Marvel Rivals.
Marvel Rivals Season 6 supercharged the hero proficiency system, layering in new tiers and, of course, rewards that demand dedication. The crown jewel? Those animated Lord icons, the envy of the community and a status symbol forged in digital fire.
Reaching max character level now requires climbing a mountain of 70 levels, underscoring the need to focus on your chosen hero. But this expansion inadvertently fueled a controversial “Lord farming” strategy: players going AFK, only jolting to life to trigger abilities in a sad attempt to hoard proficiency points.
Before Season 6, it was a simmering issue, but the upgraded Lord icons cranked up the heat, morphing the practice into a widespread plague. The Marvel Rivals team is answering the call with a ban system targeted squarely at these AFK farmers.
Marvel Rivals to Introduce New Ban System to Curb Lord Farming in Season 6
First, a confession. I witnessed a match devolve into a sad carousel of stationary heroes firing abilities into the void. Marvel Rivals addressed the issue directly via X, stating: “Recently, we’ve noticed that some players are exploiting matches by remaining stationary and repeatedly farming stats to gain hero proficiency points. This behavior disrupts normal gameplay and seriously affects the match experience of other players. To address this, we are planning to introduce a combat behavior detection system.”
The post continued, “Players found engaging in such behavior may face penalties including, but not limited to: warnings, short-term suspensions, long-term suspensions, or permanent account bans. We ask all players to help us maintain a fair and healthy game environment.”
The timeline for this detection system remains hazy, but the developers aren’t mincing words: permanent bans are on the table. While intentionally throwing matches to inflate proficiency is arguably worthy of punishment, some argue the revamped system set the stage for this behavior in the first place. The road to Lord status became a grueling marathon.
Is Marvel Rivals Pay to Win?
Think of the Marvel Rivals character grind as climbing a greased pole – immensely difficult, seemingly impossible without some kind of unfair advantage. The frustration is palpable, with one player commenting, “I mean fair, but can you blame them? 300 hours per character is crazy to me. Besides, y’all encouraged them more with those rewards.”
That sentiment clearly resonated, as another user echoed, “I’m glad you’re doing this, but also you can’t blame people for doing it when the new system requires 300+ HOURS FOR MAX PROFICIENCY PER CHARACTER.”
Clearly, this is more than a simple case of bad actors exploiting a loophole; it’s a symptom of a larger design challenge. Perhaps Netease will re-evaluate the Lord icon requirements down the line.
How Do You Level Up Fast in Marvel Rivals?
For now, the ban hammer is coming, but is it the right solution? Consider this: if the path to earning rewards feels like an endless slog, players will naturally seek shortcuts. This isn’t an endorsement of AFK farming, but an observation that player behavior is often a direct response to game design. The developers are walking a tightrope – they need to deter exploitative behavior without alienating players who simply want to progress at a reasonable pace.
What Heroes Should I Play in Marvel Rivals?
Choosing a main in Marvel Rivals is like finding the perfect spice blend for your signature dish—it takes experimentation and a bit of personal preference. With the new proficiency system, you’re incentivized to stick with a hero and truly master their abilities. But what if that mastery feels more like a second job than a fun pastime?
The problem isn’t just about the time investment; it’s about the perception of fairness. When the grind feels disproportionate to the reward, some players will inevitably look for ways to game the system. Is cracking down on AFK farming enough, or does the entire proficiency system need a rework?