I couldn't hack Marvel Rivals, but Marvel Snap taught me more about PvP etiquette in 6 months than any game has before it

Marvel PvP Games: A Clash of Communities

In the free-to-play Marvel game arena, Marvel Snap clearly stands out as the superior experience. The community in Marvel Rivals is notorious for harsh and immature insults. Fans often hear everything from the inventive "kys" to the childish "Strange is gay," the latter hurled at a friend after a failed Dr Strange portal attempt against an aggressive Jeff the Shark.

The Toxicity of Online PvP Spaces

Such behavior is common across many live-service games and remains a significant deterrent for attempting most online PvP experiences. Even with voice communications disabled, text-based chats create ample opportunity for toxic interactions among teammates and opponents.

Examples Beyond Shooters

The issue is not limited to shooter games. In Dead by Daylight, certain actions like crouch spamming, repetitive flashlight clicks, or overusing emotes are perceived as bad manners or BMing ("bad manners"-ing). Recognizing this behavior often leads to frustration and anger, showing how seriously some players take online etiquette.

Marvel Snap’s Approach to PvP Etiquette

Marvel Snap offers a fun, fast-paced mobile game environment where the rules of engagement in PvP are thoughtfully simplified. This streamlined approach helps reduce the common toxic behaviors seen in other games, making it a refreshing alternative for players seeking respectful competition.

"I'm both amazed and enraged by things I've seen and heard people saying in live service video games."
"Once I picked that up, it suddenly made me fume. All of it is silly, and I know it's daft to let emotion get the better of me, but there's only so many times I can put up with griefers before I want to take a bath with my toaster."

Overall, the reduced toxicity in Marvel Snap highlights the positive impact of designing PvP etiquette into game mechanics from the ground up.

Author's summary: Marvel Snap's simplified PvP etiquette offers a fresh, less toxic alternative to other Marvel games, improving player experience by minimizing griefing and fostering respectful competition.

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GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ — 2025-11-06

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