The Marvel Rivals developer has apologized for placing a clause in its content creator contract that prevented streamers from criticizing the game.
Marvel Rivals, a Marvel-themed take on team-based hero shooter Overwatch, was recently made available to some content creators as part of a closed alpha test. Amidst the positive response, it emerged that the contract that creators had to sign to gain access to the game contained several clauses that prohibited any derogatory comments.
As streamer and retired professional Overwatch player Brandon Larned aka Seagull revealed on Stopped from comparing.
extremely disappointed with @MarvelRivals,
Many creators asked for key codes to gain access to the playtest and were asked to sign a contract.
The Agreement waives your right to leave a negative review of the game.
Many streamers have signed up without reading just to play
Madness. pic.twitter.com/c11BUDyka9
– Brandon Larned (@A_Seagull) 12 May 2024
Reaction to this section was overwhelmingly negative, with developer NetEase facing criticism for attempting to prevent even constructive criticism of the game. Now, NetEase has issued an apology for “any unpleasant experiences or doubts caused by miscommunication of these terms”, and announced plans to revise the contract.
“The Content Creator Program is a small-scale project that aims to help creators produce incredible content by supporting them by giving them more resources.” NetEase said in its statement, “We actively encourage creators to share their honest thoughts, suggestions, and criticisms while playing. All feedback, positive and negative, ultimately helps us create the best experience for ourselves and our players.
“We sincerely apologize for the confusion, doubt and frustration caused by these highly restrictive terms and thank you for sharing with us. We value and appreciate every suggestion given by our players and always respect your feedback. We are currently working with the creators who have expressed these concerns and are revising the current version to be less restrictive and more creator-friendly. Thank you for supporting us as we make these adjustments.
“We hope you're enjoying the game so far and we're always open to hearing your honest thoughts and suggestions on how we can improve the game.”
Marvel Rivals is a 6v6 team-based free-to-play shooter based on PC featuring the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and many other iconic heroes and villains. This multidimensional adventure includes an initial roster that includes Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Groot, Hulk, Iron Man, Loki, Luna Snow, Magik, Magneto, Mantis, Namor, Penny Parker, Rocket Raccoon, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Storm included. Star-Lord, and The Punisher. Release date is yet to be announced.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].