A few weeks ago, a particularly aggravating match in Marvel Rivals led me to abruptly shut down my console, expressing my intense frustration with the game and its community. My boyfriend, curious about my dedication, asked about my playtime. Having recently transitioned to freelancing, I had ample free time. He mentioned his 16 hours logged, prompting my conservative guess of `at least double that.`
The reality was far more shocking: I had dedicated over 16 days – more than 400 hours – to the ranked mode of NetEase`s hero shooter since its December 2024 launch. For the vast majority of this time, I was consumed by frustration, annoyance, or `tilt,` relentlessly pursuing a self-imposed, arbitrary goal before allowing myself a break. This startling discovery, combined with a significant drop in rank after the recent Season 3 reset, brought a stark realization: I had a problem with competitive matchmaking. Consequently, I decided to quit.
A History of Competitive Pursuits
Marvel Rivals was not my first foray into competitive gaming. My history dates back to high school, where I relentlessly pursued the elusive level 50 in Halo 3`s SWAT mode, a pattern I repeated years later by grinding to level 100 in Gears of War 3. More recently, I favored ranked Apex Legends over its casual alternatives. However, for many years, competitive Overwatch was my primary focus. Of the nearly 1,500 hours I invested solely in Overwatch 2, almost all were spent in competitive queues. I even achieved a global ranking as a Moira player on console. My engagement with Overwatch 2 only ceased when the grind became overwhelming and Marvel Rivals emerged as a new, enticing prospect.
A consistent aspect of my competitive gaming has been playing solo, particularly queuing as a support character in hero shooters. This approach is generally frowned upon: solo queuing leads to a new team each match, hindering team synergy, and support players frequently bear the brunt of blame when things go wrong. In Rivals, I constantly felt my support contributions were insufficient to carry a team to victory. The futility of trying to climb the ranks in such an unrewarding role gradually wore me down. Consequently, when rumors surfaced suggesting NetEase`s hero shooter was designed with a problematic matchmaking system, it piqued my interest. Perhaps the issue wasn`t my performance, but rather the game itself.
The Matchmaking Debate: SBMM vs. EOMM
Matchmaking remains a complex and highly debated subject within competitive gaming circles. I`ve previously explored skill-based matchmaking (SBMM), a system employed by titles such as Call of Duty and Apex Legends to group players into game lobbies. While the precise algorithms differ between games and developers, the fundamental principle is to pair players of comparable skill, based on metrics like K/D ratios, playtime, or win counts. Variations in SBMM implementation across games have often led to player frustration. For instance, Overwatch 2 addressed `community pain points` regarding its competitive matchmaking in January 2023, making adjustments. Later that year, Call of Duty fans inundated a Modern Warfare III Reddit AMA, urging Activision to overhaul its SBMM system.
Beyond SBMM, other matchmaking systems exist. A 2017 paper by a former Electronic Arts intern introduced Engagement Optimized Matchmaking (EOMM), a concept prioritizing player engagement over strict fairness. Although EA patented this idea, no games in their current portfolio, including Apex Legends or Battlefield, are known to utilize it. However, Marvel Rivals players widely speculate that NetEase employs EOMM. While NetEase did publish a 2020 academic paper on `OptMatch,` a system that considers player engagement, it doesn`t seem to prioritize engagement above fairness.
Nevertheless, the appeal of EOMM is understandable: it offers a comforting explanation for frustrating rank progression. It`s easier to believe one is stuck in Platinum because a system is manipulating losses to keep players hooked, rather than due to personal skill limitations. However, NetEase recently dispelled these rumors. On August 12th, they stated on X (formerly Twitter), `We want to reiterate that Marvel Rivals does not use EOMM. We are currently working on a video to demonstrate our developer insights on the matchmaking and ranking system, which is expected to be released next week.`
Embracing a New Gaming Philosophy
While the matchmaking debate briefly re-engaged me, NetEase`s explanations won`t entice me back. The staggering amount of time I poured into Marvel Rivals now feels like a permanent, uncomfortable imprint. This revelation highlighted how much of my gaming life has been dedicated to excelling in first-person shooters – predominantly male spaces often hostile towards individuals like myself. Subconsciously, for two decades, I believed that by mastering competitive games, I could validate my presence in these communities, proving I was `as much a gamer` as those who hurled insults.
Marvel Rivals shattered this illusion, freeing me from the relentless pursuit of being the best. Even if problematic matchmaking played a role in my negative experiences, it doesn`t erase the deep-seated frustration. Knowing a system might be designed to keep me engaged doesn`t change the fundamental truth: these competitive games are detrimental to my well-being. What truly brings joy? Far more than trying to heal an abusive DPS player, it`s casually dropping into Fortnite as Lady Gaga, hitting a headshot on Peely, celebrating with an A$AP Ferg emote, and cruising off in a yellow Corvette to Sabrina Carpenter`s `Juno.`
So, goodbye, competitive gaming. I won`t miss you.