In the latest “Dev Vision” blog for Season 3.5, Marvel Rivals announced it has rolled out additional game systems to fight against toxic player behavior. One of these systems is the automatic recording and review of all in-game voice chat, a measure designed to catch players using abusive language and particular words. However, while the developers stress that the system will have a component of human review, critics are wary that the surveillance and recordings may also be used for AI or for other reasons.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Marvel Rivals Dev Vision Vol. 08 spells out the changes coming to the game through a monologue delivered by the game’s Creative Director, known online by the nickname Guanguang.
“Great teamwork starts with great communication. To keep Marvel Rivals a positive experience for all, we’re upgrading our in-game environment,” said Guangguang in the development video blog. “Starting July 24th, in addition to player reports and manual review, all in-game voice chat will now be automatically screened by the system with human review.”
Guangguang asserted that the effort will help the system catch more toxic behavior and make it easier to penalize players for inappropriate language during matches. The move’s motivation is attributed to making the game “a better place for everyone.”
“When our team is playing together, we regularly say positivity will win this game. No matter what happens, we keep encouraging each other and often win in the end,” said Guangugang. “United we stand, divided we fall.”
In the video, it was also announced that the introduction of custom filters for text chats, which players can use to mute specific words, would be coming with the Season 3.5 update. Part of this feature will include an official list of muted words, which the Marvel Rivals team promises to regularly add to based on which muted words are popular on a player’s own list.
While some players are thankful for the increased ability to avoid the toxic aspects of online play, others have grown increasingly wary of moves like this in the current gaming climate. Recently, the pressure to remove Adult content games from payment processors on Steam and itch.io has led many online to decry censorship. This week also saw the introduction of a real ID verification system in the UK for accessing specific online spaces, a measure that Xbox has already announced will be extended to additional regions in the future.
“First visa/master card on steam, then itch.io, uk age law, uk age law with music, Australia banning yt and other social media for under 16, youtube ai determining age of users, now voice monitoring all in the span of a week or so is crazy timing,” wrote Reddit user MacEbes.
Some players are also worried that this move represents a further encroachment of AI into the gaming industry and player experience. AI’s rapid advancement in a relatively short few years has seen big players like Microsoft heavily invest in the technology while simultaneously laying off thousands of workers. Earlier this month, Candy Crush developer King reportedly laid off some staff members and replaced them with AI tools that they had trained themselves.
Will the transition to a surveillance system within Marvel Rivals help curb toxic behavior among players? What are your thoughts on these latest features from the Season 3.5 update?
Most Viewed
-
Courtesy of Crunchyroll
