Marvel Rivals unbans Steam Deck and Mac players wrongly caught up in cheater purge

Marvel Rivals, the superhero shooter hit, is now accessible to Steam Deck, Mac, and other Linux-based players without the fear of unjust bans. NetEase, the developers, recently issued bans to players suspected of cheating, but mistakenly targeted legitimate compatibility layers used by non-Windows operating systems. After realizing their error, NetEase has lifted the bans and issued an apology to the affected players.

NetEase stated on Discord, “We sincerely apologize for this situation and want to assure you that we do not and will not ban players who are playing fairly and without cheating.” They have identified the reasons behind the false bans and have lifted them, expressing regret for any inconvenience caused.

This incident highlights the importance of fair treatment in the gaming community, where justice can be served by admitting mistakes and rectifying them. Valve has rated Marvel Rivals as Playable for the Steam Deck, indicating a significant number of falsely banned SteamOS players. Although compatibility layers like Proton can trigger anti-cheat systems, NetEase’s approach shows understanding and fairness.

Despite concerns over potential cheating, developers are still cautious about opening their games to Linux systems. NetEase’s decision to lift the bans showcases a more balanced approach, even though certain restrictions, like mentioning Winnie the Pooh in chat, remain in place.