Why Your Frames Might Be Dropping in Marvel Rivals and How to Fix It

Marvel Rivals, with its promise of fast-paced superhero combat and visually dynamic environments, is an exciting addition to the hero shooter genre. However, the intensity of the action can sometimes come at a cost to performance.

Many players across both PC and console platforms have reported experiencing frustrating frame drops, stuttering, or sudden dips in FPS (frames per second), particularly following recent game updates. If you’re encountering these issues and wondering why your game feels less than smooth, here’s a breakdown of the most common culprits and steps you can take to improve your performance.

Common Causes Behind FPS Dips

Several factors can contribute to inconsistent frame rates in Marvel Rivals:

• Memory Leaks and Optimization Glitches: A frequently cited issue among players is a suspected memory leak. This problem causes the game to gradually consume more system memory the longer it runs, which can eventually lead to significant FPS drops, stuttering, or even near-frozen gameplay after playing for a few matches. Furthermore, recent patches, notably coinciding with the Season 2 update, appear to have introduced new optimization challenges, causing performance to dip sharply during large team fights or when multiple ultimate abilities are deployed simultaneously.
• Shader Compilation During Gameplay: Marvel Rivals currently handles shader compilation differently than some games. Instead of compiling all shaders during the initial installation or game launch, it seems to compile them on the fly during your first match or after updates. This can result in noticeable stutters or temporary FPS drops as the game processes new visual elements in real-time. Some PC users have found that adding the launch option -PSOCompileMode=1 can help by forcing more shader compilation to happen at startup.
• Demanding Graphics Settings: Pushing the game’s visual fidelity to high or ultra settings can place a heavy burden on your hardware, especially if your PC or console is not top-of-the-line. Graphics options like global illumination, detailed shadows, complex reflections, and high texture quality are known to be resource-intensive and can significantly impact your frame rate.
• Overlays and Background Applications: Software overlays from platforms like Steam, Discord, NVIDIA GeForce Experience, or other applications running in the background can consume valuable CPU and RAM resources. These can sometimes interfere with the game’s performance, leading to lag and reduced FPS.
• Outdated Drivers and Hardware Limitations: Running the game with outdated graphics card drivers can lead to compatibility issues and suboptimal performance. Similarly, if your system’s hardware (CPU, GPU, RAM) falls below the game’s recommended specifications, you are more likely to experience frame drops, particularly in demanding situations.
• Network Issues and High Ping: While distinct from graphical performance, poor network connectivity resulting in high ping or unstable latency can manifest as choppy or stuttering gameplay that might feel similar to frame drops.
• Overheating: If your PC components or console begin to overheat during extended play sessions, the system may automatically reduce performance (thermal throttling) to prevent damage, directly leading to lower FPS.

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Recent Performance Concerns (Post-Season 2)

Many players have specifically highlighted a noticeable decline in performance since the Season 2 update. Reports indicate that frame rates, even on powerful gaming rigs, can drop significantly from smooth triple-digit figures down to 60 FPS or even lower during intense team fights or on certain maps introduced in the update.

This widespread feedback suggests that optimization is an ongoing process for the developers, and recent changes may have introduced new performance bottlenecks.

Quick Fixes and Workarounds to Try

While waiting for potential future optimization patches from the developers, there are several steps you can take right now to try and mitigate frame drops and improve your Marvel Rivals experience:

• Restart the Game Regularly: If you suspect a memory leak, restarting the game after every few matches can help reset its memory usage and potentially improve performance for a while.
• Lower In-Game Graphics Settings: This is often the most effective immediate fix. Reduce settings like overall graphics quality, shadows, effects, and texture detail. Disable demanding features like ray tracing or global illumination if they are enabled.
• Enable NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency (PC): If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, enabling NVIDIA Reflex can help reduce input lag and may contribute to a more stable feeling frame rate.
• Disable Overlays: Turn off any unnecessary overlays from Steam, Discord, NVIDIA, or other applications before launching the game.
• Update Your Drivers: Ensure your graphics card drivers (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) are updated to the latest version available from the manufacturer’s website.
• Manage Background Tasks: Close any unnecessary programs running in the background that might be consuming CPU or RAM resources.
• Test Fullscreen Mode: Playing in exclusive fullscreen mode often provides better performance compared to windowed or borderless windowed modes.
• Try the Shader Compile Launch Option (PC): For Steam users, right-click Marvel Rivals in your library, go to Properties, and in the Launch Options field, add -PSOCompileMode=1. This might help with stuttering related to shader compilation.

Summary

Frame drops and performance issues in Marvel Rivals can stem from a variety of sources, including technical issues like memory leaks and shader compilation methods, demanding graphics settings, conflicts with background software, or limitations of your hardware.

The recent Season 2 update appears to have introduced additional optimization challenges. Until further developer patches address these underlying issues, your best course of action is to optimize your system, lower your in-game settings, disable overlays, keep your drivers updated, and be aware that some performance inconsistencies may persist.

By taking these steps, you can maximize your chances of maintaining smoother gameplay and focusing on the multiversal battle at hand.