Marvel Rivals on PC has been hit by a third‑party bounty scheme where players are offered real money to intentionally throw ranked matches, especially in games involving high‑ranked players and streamers. This “incentivized throwing” surfaced in late February 2026 and quickly sparked community outrage over ruined games and targeted harassment. In early March 2026, developer NetEase responded with an official statement promising specialized investigations and the possibility of permanent bans for anyone involved.
| Topic | What players need to know |
|---|---|
| What’s happening | Third‑party sites offered real‑money bounties (reportedly up to around 40 dollars per match) for players to intentionally throw Marvel Rivals ranked games. |
| Who gets targeted | Streamers, high‑ranked players, and names on public “griefer” lists are common targets, but innocent teammates and opponents also get stuck in sabotaged matches. |
| NetEase’s stance | NetEase calls this “incentivized throwing,” has a strict zero‑tolerance policy, and is rolling out specialized investigations to track bounty‑linked negative gameplay. |
| Possible punishments | Accounts caught throwing, AFKing, or participating in bounty schemes can receive significant penalties, including long suspensions and permanent bans. |
| Safe players | Normal players who just queue, try to win, and sometimes have bad games or lose streaks are not targets for these bans. |
| What you should do | If you see obvious throwing, feeding, or malicious idling, use the in‑game report tools so NetEase can investigate and act on those accounts. |
If you are just playing normally, you are not at risk, but anyone who joins games to underperform on purpose for a bounty, or helps organize these schemes, is now directly in the firing line for long suspensions or permanent account bans.
Quick summary: what players need to know
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Third‑party sites and communities have been paying players (reportedly up to around 40 dollars per match) to intentionally lose ranked games in Marvel Rivals.
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Targets often include streamers, top‑ranked players, or people added to public “griefer” lists, but innocent teammates and opponents get dragged into ruined matches.
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NetEase has issued an official statement calling this “incentivized throwing” and is introducing specialized investigation protocols to track and punish it.
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Confirmed punishments include “significant penalties” up to and including permanent bans for accounts found sabotaging matches or taking part in bounty systems.
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Players are urged to report malicious idling, intentional feeding, or obvious throwing directly through the in‑game report tools.
How the bounty throwing scheme works
A controversial third‑party site and associated communities appeared in February 2026, advertising cash rewards for players who would ruin Marvel Rivals ranked matches. The platform allowed users to place bounties on named accounts, often framed as “justice” against griefers, but many listed names were actually streamers or high‑ranked players.
Reports and coverage describe a structure where:
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A user posts a bounty on a specific player or account.
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Other players queue into ranked, try to land in the same match, then intentionally feed, AFK, or otherwise sabotage the game when that target is present.
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Once they provide proof (usually match IDs or video), they receive a large portion of the bounty payout, while the remaining cut goes to the platform.
Coverage from many outlets examples where multiple players in the same lobby were trying to throw for different reasons, leading to matches where K/Ds were massively skewed but the “target” still managed to win thanks to a few teammates playing normally. That combination of cash incentives and public bounty lists is what pushed this beyond normal trolling into a high‑profile scandal.
What NetEase has officially said and confirmed
On March 5–6, 2026, NetEase published an official “Upholding Fair Play and Combating ‘Incentivized Throwing’” statement on the Marvel Rivals site and social channels. In that post, the developers:
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“Incentivized throwing” describes players deliberately sabotaging matches after third parties entice them with bounties or rewards to lose on purpose.
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Reaffirm a strict zero‑tolerance policy toward any form of malicious disruption.
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Announce a “specialized investigation protocol” focused on identifying negative gameplay connected to external bounties.
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Confirm that accounts found violating these policies may face serious repercussions, “including, but not limited to, permanent bans.”
The same statement also expands the game’s general stance on negative gameplay:
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Malicious idling (AFKing) and intentional throwing are now explicitly highlighted as behaviors that can trigger significant penalties after reports are verified.
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The team encourages players to use in‑game reporting whenever they encounter suspected throwers or AFK players, promising thorough investigations by staff.
Any account caught deliberately sabotaging matches as part of this ecosystem is at risk.
Who is actually at risk of a permanent ban?
If you are worried about being banned, make sure you separate normal losses from what NetEase calls “negative gameplay.”
You are not the target if you:
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Play to win (or at least play normally) in ranked and quick play.
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Have bad games, lose streaks, or off nights where you simply underperform.
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End up in matches with suspected throwers but try to play the game as intended.
You are at risk if you:
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Join matches specifically to ruin them for bounty payouts or to help someone else cash in.
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Intentionally AFK, run off to feed, or refuse to participate after seeing a bounty target in your lobby.
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Organize or promote third‑party bounty schemes that pay people to throw Marvel Rivals matches.
NetEase has not published a detailed ban ladder for this situation, but their statement makes it clear that “significant penalties” can include permanent account bans for confirmed cases of incentivized throwing. Community reports already show multi‑week or multi‑month suspensions for repeated or extreme throwing cases, even outside the bounty context.
