Since its release on August 6, the PC version of Marvel Rivals has struggled with performance optimization issues. The latest reports have only added to the embarrassment for developer Arc System Works and Sony: reportedly, the cracked, DRM-free version of the game runs much more smoothly than the official retail version.
Marvel Rivals launched on PS5 and PC (Steam and Epic) on August 6 and quickly topped the Steam best-seller list. However, this early momentum did not translate into a smooth market response, with the game's user reviews on Steam almost immediately dropping to "Mixed." As of press time, the game has approximately 3,500 to 4,200 user reviews on Steam, with a positive rating of about 47%, a figure that has remained stable since its release.
This is certainly not because the game is bad; on the contrary, Marvel Rivals has received quite good media scores, with both IGN and GameSpot giving it a 9, and WCCF giving it an 8.7. It is likely one of the best team-based fighting games.
However, the issue lies at the technical level: player complaints mainly focus on PC-specific problems, such as unstable frame rates, persistent minor stutters, crashes, incorrect graphical settings, and issues with network code (such as rollback), even on systems that far exceed the developer's recommended specifications.
Even more concerning is that the PC version requires players to have a PSN account for online play, a decision reminiscent of the PSN controversy surrounding Helldivers 2 in 2024. However, unlike previous incidents, Sony has not withdrawn this requirement for Marvel Rivals, resulting in the game being unavailable for purchase and play in over 130 countries/regions worldwide at launch, although offline modes such as Story Mode and Arcade Mode are not subject to this restriction. The situation is even worse for Steam Deck and Linux users, who cannot start the game at all due to the game's anti-cheat mechanism.
It is worth noting that the PS5 version of Marvel Rivals has largely avoided these issues, leading players to speculate that the poor performance optimization on the PC version may be caused by some form of DRM or anti-cheat software.
The game was cracked in just 11 days, and performs better
According to the piracy tracking site CrackWatch, Marvel Rivals was cracked just 11 days after its release, with pirates successfully bypassing the game's DRM protection. What happened next further exacerbated the already controversial launch: players trying out the cracked version began reporting that its performance far exceeded that of the official Steam version.
A Reddit user stated that despite encountering severe performance issues during the game's public beta, they were able to run the cracked version smoothly at 60 frames per second with maximum graphics settings, without needing to pre-load shaders like in the official version to achieve a stable gaming experience. They noticed occasional stutters during super moves and in menu interfaces, but otherwise felt that the game's performance had significantly improved.
Other users expressed similar sentiments on the ResetEra forums and social media. On social media, user JustinSGX reported that the cracked version used only about 34% of their Intel i7-6700K processor's capacity, while the retail version using the same hardware had a CPU usage rate as high as 57%. Other players provided similarly striking comparisons:
"Some unofficial version actually runs perfectly at 60fps on my PC. At medium graphics settings, the frame rate stays stable at 60fps, with CPU and GPU usage around 40-50%... whereas the retail version is constantly stuck at 45fps even at GBA resolution."
The most likely culprit is the game's anti-cheat software, particularly Easy Anti-Cheat, along with background processes related to the integration of Sony's PlayStation Network SDK. Removing DRM seems to also remove some additional background systems, which many users believe are the main cause of the game's poor optimization.
Removing DRM to improve game performance is not unprecedented, but publishers usually wait months or even years before taking action. After such a strong backlash, we will wait and see if this game will soon remove its DRM.
As it stands, Marvel Rivals remains a typical case of DRM being counterproductive: it failed to effectively prevent piracy, as the game was cracked in less than two weeks, while instead providing a worse gaming experience for paying players, whom the DRM was originally intended to protect.