Marvel Rivals developer NetEase Games recently received criticism for requiring content creators to agree to a non-disparagement clause to prevent them from speaking poorly about the game. However, NetEase called this a “miscommunication” and will revise the language to be “less restrictive.”
NetEase will revise language in Marvel Rivals contract
“We would like to take this opportunity to address the concerns we’ve seen regarding the agreement terms of Content Creator Programs and, above all, we would like to apologize for any unpleasant experiences or doubts caused by the miscommunication of these terms,” NetEase wrote on Twitter. The developer goes on to explain that the program “is a small-scale project” designed to help creators make Marvel Rivals content. The studio says it encourages creators to give honest feedback, which helps make the upcoming hero shooter a better game.
The Marvel Rivals developer apologized for what it now acknowledges were “excessively restrictive terms.” NetEase said it is revising the agreement to be “less restrictive and more Creator-friendly.” It did not say how long that would take, but the company thanked fans ahead of time for their patience.
The controversial clause prevented content creators from making “disparaging or satirical comments,” “engaging in malicious comparisons,” “or providing subjective negative reviews.” Some fans defended this rule, saying that Marvel Rivals was too early in development for players to judge its quality fairly.
However, others were more critical of the Marvel Rivals developer. This group prominently includes Twitch streamer Brandon “A Seagull” Larned, who helped bring the matter to public attention. “The contract signs away your right to negatively review the game,” he tweeted on Saturday. “Many streamers have signed without reading just to play. Insanity.”
