How Matchmaking Works in Marvel Rivals

Players have been asking lots of questions about Marvel Rivals matchmaking system. Many people wonder if the game rigs matches or use unfair systems. Because of all this community feedback and concerns, the developers decided to release a detailed video explaining exactly how their matchmaking works. Let's break down what they said and how matchmaking works in MR.

Matchmaking Marvel Rivals Explainer Video

How Matchmaking Works in Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals uses several factors to decide who plays against who. Here's what happens when you queue for a ranked match.

Your Competitive Score

Every player has a competitive score. This number represents your current skill level in the game. When you win matches, your score goes up. When you lose, it goes down. The matchmaking system uses this score to find other players with similar skill levels.

What Happens After Each Match

After every ranked game, the system calculates your new score using two main parts:

Base Points - These depend on three things:

• Whether you won or lost the match
• Your current competitive score
• The enemy team's average competitive score

Here's how it works with examples:

• If your score is 3,500 and the enemy team's average is also 3,500: You get +20 points for winning, -20 for losing
• If your score is 3,500 but the enemy average is 3,700: You get +25 for winning (bonus for beating stronger players), -15 for losing
• If your score is 3,500 but the enemy average is 3,300: You get only +15 for winning, but -25 for losing to weaker players

Performance Points - This measures how well you played during the match. The system doesn't just count raw stats because different heroes have different roles. Instead, it:

1. Converts your match stats to a "per 10 minutes" value
2. Compares this to the average performance of other players using the same hero at your rank
3. Creates a performance coefficient based on how you did versus the average
4. If you played multiple heroes, it weights them by how long you played each one
5. Compares your coefficient to your teammates' average

How Your Final Score Gets Calculated

The system combines base points and performance points using different weights depending on your rank:

• Lower ranks (like Silver): Performance points matter more (60% weight) to help skilled players climb faster
• Higher ranks (like Celestial): Base points matter more (70% weight) for consistency

For example, if you win and earn 20 base points plus 30 performance points:

• Silver player gets: (20 × 0.4) + (30 × 0.6) = 26 total points
• Celestial player gets: (20 × 0.7) + (30 × 0.3) = 23 total points

How the System Finds Your Match in Marvel Rivals

When you start looking for a game, several things happen:

1. Server Selection - The system looks for players on your chosen server first
2. Initial Search - It tries to find 12 players with similar competitive scores
3. Expanding Search - As wait time increases, it gradually expands to include slightly higher or lower ranked players (but keeps limits to prevent very unbalanced games)
4. Team Creation - Once it has 12 players, it arranges them into two teams to minimize the difference in average competitive scores

Team Size Matching Rules

The system has specific rules for different team sizes:

• Six-person teams only fight other six-person teams.
• Five-person teams are currently disabled to protect solo players.
• Four-person teams first try to match with other four-person teams, but if none are found quickly, the system expands to mixed combinations like 4+1+1 vs 3+2+1.
• Smaller teams follow similar patterns with expanding options as wait time increases.

Starting in season 3.5, the developers temporarily restricted four and six-player teams from matchmaking at higher ranks because balanced matches were too hard to find.

What Is EOMM?

EOMM stands for "Engagement Optimized Matchmaking." This is a system that some people believe certain games use to manipulate matches. The theory is that games intentionally give you wins and losses to keep your win rate around 50%, making you just successful enough to stay interested but not so successful that you get bored.

Does Marvel Rivals Use EOMM?

The developers clearly state that Marvel Rivals does not use EOMM. They addressed this directly because many players in the community believed the game was manipulating their matches.

The confusion happens because Marvel Rivals, like most competitive games, naturally creates close to a 50% win rate for many players. This isn't manipulation - it's what happens when players of similar skill levels play against each other repeatedly.

Why Some Matches Feel Unbalanced

Even with all this matching, some games still feel unfair. The developers explained several reasons:

• Role Problems - Marvel Rivals doesn't force you to pick specific roles. Your team might end up with too many damage dealers and no tanks, or players might have to play roles they're not comfortable with.
• Rank Differences Within Teams - Even when team averages are similar, individual players can have big rank gaps. You might have a Diamond player and a Platinum player on the same team.
• Server and Population Issues - During quiet hours or in less populated regions, the system has fewer players to choose from. This leads to longer waits and potentially less balanced matches.

The developers continue analyzing feedback and making improvements to their matchmaking system. Understanding how it actually works can help you focus on improving your gameplay rather than worrying about whether matches are rigged against you.