Players don't trust ranked in Marvel Rivals and stats prove it

Recent statistics about the rank distribution in Marvel Rivals on PC have sparked discussions across social media platforms, revealing trends that are both intriguing and potentially alarming. One key aspect to focus on is the concentration of players in the Bronze rank, particularly in Bronze 3. In Marvel Rivals, reaching Bronze 3 is a milestone automatically awarded to all players who achieve level 10, after which they must engage in ranked matches to progress further.

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In the realm of competitive gaming, the transition from Bronze 3 to Bronze 2 is typically designed to be straightforward. Developers often aim to create a rank distribution that follows a Gaussian curve, or bell curve, positioning the majority of players around the middle ranks, such as Gold. This design ensures that players near the edges, like those in Bronze, experience a system that "pulls" them towards the center, where wins yield more ranking points than losses.

However, the data for Marvel Rivals presents a stark deviation from this model. There are four times as many players in Bronze 3 compared to Bronze 2, indicating a rank distribution that is far from Gaussian. This unusual concentration suggests a lack of engagement with the ranking system among players. The reasons behind this could be multifaceted, but such a trend might serve as a red flag for NetEase, the game's developer. It could imply that players are not motivated to progress through the ranks, which could impact the game's long-term success and player retention.