Marvel Rivals’ terms of service contain a “non-disparagement” clause to prevent players from submitting “negative reviews”

Updated at 6 p.m: Netease has apologized for “inappropriate and misleading terms” in its creator contract.

In a statement posted to Discord shortly after the contract began making headlines, the Marvel Rivals Content Creator Team said it “deeply apologizes” for your “misunderstandings and unpleasant experiences.”

“We recognize that there are inappropriate and misleading compliance requirements regarding sharing non-parody content,” the full statement read. “We sincerely apologize [sic] For misunderstandings and your unpleasant experiences!

“Our position is completely open to both suggestions and criticism to improve our game. We… [sic] Our mission is to make Marvel Rivals better satisfying players through those constructive suggestions.

“We are now working to review the misunderstood terms of our commitment,” he continues. “Progress will be shared with each creator in due course. Marvel Rivals always welcomes creators to join our community and create amazing content with us. Content creators are respected not only as players, but also as part of the community here. Speaking of which, the Content Creator Program Suggestion Form is at About to be released [Discord] Which is open to all opinions. We look forward to hearing your thoughts!

At the time of writing, it is not clear whether previously signed contracts are now null and void, but NetEase says “all terms will only become effective when both parties have discussed and agreed to the terms.”

In a statement to the press, NetEase said: “The contract is a draft version intended for long-term cooperation with creators interested in Marvel Rivals. The development team hopes to obtain more meaningful and consistent comments, suggestions and criticism through more in-depth cooperation.”

Original story follows.

Original story, 1.50pm GMT: Players and content creators have responded to Marvel Rivals seeking playtesting service contract terms that prohibit players from making “statements that harm the reputation of the game.”

As former professional esports player and Twitch streamer Brandon “A_Seagull” Larned shared, the contract “signs away your right to review the game negatively.”

In Section 2.1 of the agreement — titled “Non-Disparagement” — creators commit to “agreeing not to make any public statements or engage in discussions that harm the reputation of the game.”

This includes, but is not limited to, “making disparaging or sarcastic comments about any game-related material, such as game features, characters, or music,” and “engaging in harmful comparisons with competitors or disparaging the gameplay or differences in Marvel competitors or Submitting subjective negative reviews of the game.”

As Larned noted, “A lot of streamers have signed on [the contract] Without reading, just playing.”

Interestingly, an FAQ posted in the game’s Discord community says that “there is no NDA for our closed alpha testing” and players are “encouraged to share their experience and all types of content on all platforms.”

A couple of players They also shared concerns about terms of service on the official Discord server, but so far, their queries have not been answered.

Others on Twitter/X claim that the developers have agreed to “review” the contract, but it appears they have not done so yet.

At the time of writing, the hero team-based PvP shooter – published by NetEase Games – has yet to publicly comment on the matter. We’ve reached out to NetEase and will update if we hear more.

Marvel Rivals is an upcoming free-to-play team-based PVP shooter for PC backed by Chinese publishing giant NetEase.

Described as an “exciting, fast-paced co-op experience,” Marvel Rivals will pit teams of up to six against each other as they battle in a variety of destructible environments with characters from across the Marvel Universe. This includes the likes of Iron Man, Groot, Scarlet Witch, and more.