NetEase, the developer of Marvel Rivals, has announced plans to introduce a combat behavior detection system to address players exploiting the hero proficiency update by staying AFK in matches. This follows the launch of Season 6 last week, which added Deadpool and reworked the proficiency system, inadvertently encouraging 'lord farming' for cosmetics. Penalties could include warnings, suspensions, or permanent bans.
Season 6 of Marvel Rivals launched around January 16, 2026, bringing Deadpool to the hero roster as a versatile character who can fill Duelist, Vanguard, or Strategist roles, along with a new battle pass, gameplay tweaks, team-up balance changes, the Collector's museum, a dueling arena, and photo mode. The update also overhauled the hero proficiency system, shifting to a linear progression through universal challenges across 70 levels, with increased proficiency earned per minute of play and new cosmetic rewards, including Lord icons.
This change has sparked a rise in 'lord farming,' where players remain stationary in spawn after matches begin, spamming abilities to rack up proficiency points without participating, creating unbalanced games. As described on community forums, lord farmers often queue on low-population regional servers during off-hours, facing each other and AFK-ing while others handle objectives, exploiting role-based proficiency gains.
On January 19, 2026, the official Marvel Rivals account on X addressed the issue: “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. 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.”
No timeline has been provided for the system's rollout, and since Marvel Rivals is free-to-play, bans may not fully deter repeat offenders creating new accounts. Community reactions on Reddit are positive, with one top comment hoping the 'banhammer might actually help some of these lord farmers touch grass.' Players also call for action against other issues like throwers in ranked matches. Previous seasons added heroes like Rogue and Gambit, with Elsa Bloodstone slated for mid-season. The proficiency system's design flaws remain unaddressed, potentially requiring further tweaks.