Marvel Rivals players divided after “pay-to-win” theories go viral

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Marvel Rivals has taken the gaming world by storm, engaging gamers with its thrilling combat and rich Marvel Universe background. With millions of players joining every day to strategize, fight, and compete, it’s no surprise that the game has become a cultural phenomenon. However, as its popularity develops, so do concerns about the game’s integrity.

Cheating has been a common problem, with gamers using hacks and exploits to get an advantage. Aside from flagrant cheating, a subtler advantage has provoked intense disputes in the community.

Many players believe that having greater frame rates (FPS) results in smoother gameplay and faster response times, providing them a major advantage in matches. Higher FPS not only enhances the overall game experience, but it also appears to boost character animations and fighting efficiency, prompting concerns about balancing.

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Marvel Rivals players suggest higher FPS makes winning games easier

The Marvel Rivals player base has been divided ever since theories of the game being “pay to win” went viral on social media. Some players allege that those with higher frame rates in the game can damage enemies quicker and have a significant buff over enemies with lower FPS.

Marvel Rivals Star Lord FPS comparison
Marvel Rivals players are alleging lower FPS delays attacks. Image by Marvel Rivals Media.

Such a theory was brought forward by YouTuber Sarthe who shared a video comparing two clips of Star Lord’s gameplay at 120 FPS vs 60 FPS. It could be seen that the one with a higher FPS value can damage and eliminate enemies quicker than the 60 FPS user.


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While it’s arguable that the delay in the clip is purely because of frame rate and in reality, the input time on both frame rates is the same, some users have even shared a clip of five heroes who are majorly affected by lower FPS values.

Those heroes are Doctor Strange, Wolverine, Magik, Venom, and Star-Lord. Since the clip also does not quite justify that the input time is the same, it’s safe to say that the accusation by players is simply a theory until NetEase confirms it.

Some players have also pointed out that this may be the reason that PlayStation users have been struggling to win matches, but it all comes down to a lot of factors such as input delay, ping, and even your graphics settings that affect the overall performance of your gameplay.

About the Author

Rishabh Sabarwal

Rishabh is a Gaming Writer on VideoGamer with over 7 years of experience. He likes thanking the bus driver in Fortnite and grab a sweet Victory Royale quite often.

Marvel Rivals

  • Platform(s): macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
  • Genre(s): Fighting, Shooter