NetEase has finally removed the infamous Marvel Rivals “Lord Farming” exploit in its latest update, putting a major roadblock in front of players who were taking advantage of the system.
In this update, NetEase began overhauling the Hero Proficiency system by putting a cap on how many points players can have in Doom Matches. For those unfamiliar, Marvel Rivals features a proficiency system similar to League of Legends’ Mastery system. In Rivals’ case, proficiency is represented by “Lord Icons,” which show how long a player has been using a specific hero. These icons completely change the player's avatar, adding flashy effects and vibrant colors. It’s purely cosmetic.
click to enlargeThe issue? Proficiency hasn’t always reflected real effort. Some players have been abusing the system to quickly earn Lord Icons—usually by grinding them out in Doom Match mode.
READ: Marvel Rivals Players Are Farming Lord Icons — And It’s Becoming a Problem
Doom Match is essentially Marvel Rivals’ version of a quick Deathmatch: the first to 30 eliminations wins. The problem is, Proficiency Scores are also tracked here. So naturally, players started flocking to it to farm Lord Points, speeding up their grind with minimal teamwork or coordination.
Take Emma Frost, Marvel Rivals’ latest hero. Players were already farming her Lord Icon in Doom Matches, often to the detriment of the mode itself. With everyone doing their own thing and ignoring the objective, it didn’t take long for the community to take notice—and speak out. The system was too easy to exploit, and that raised long-term concerns.
The kicker? Proficiency doesn’t always mean someone is good with that hero, and the exploit just made it worse. That’s why NetEase has now introduced a cap on how many Lord Proficiency Points players can earn in Doom Matches. Yep, that’s the end of the senseless grind.
This change doesn’t affect Competitive or Quick Play modes, where players are expected actually to work with their team rather than go solo like they do in Doom Matches. Now, if you want that Lord Icon, you’re going to have to earn it.
The update dropped just yesterday alongside Marvel Rivals’ new Brain Blast game mode, which we covered in depth [here]. It also includes a hefty round of bug fixes and some slick new skins for heroes like Loki and Hela.
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