So you’ve hit that wall in Diamond where every match feels like a sweat-fest, or maybe you just want to learn Black Panther without getting flamed by your teammates. I get it. Honestly, everyone in the Marvel Rivals community seems to be talking about it right now. Whether you call it a "smurf," a "practice profile," or just a Marvel Rivals alt account, the reality is that NetEase hasn't made it exactly intuitive to swap between them.
People are diving into second accounts for a dozen different reasons. Some want to play with friends who are stuck in Silver. Others are just obsessed with the fresh dopamine hit of those early level-up rewards. But before you go making three different emails, there are some weird technical quirks and "hidden" rules you really need to know about. This isn't just about logging out; it's about how the game ties your identity to your hardware and your platform.
The "One-Account-Per-Platform" Problem
Basically, Marvel Rivals doesn't have a "Switch Account" button in the main menu. It’s annoying. If you’re playing on Steam, the game automatically grabs your Steam ID. If you’re on PS5, it’s your PSN.
To actually run a Marvel Rivals alt account, you have to go outside the game's interface. On PC, the cleanest way to do this without messing with your registry or redownloading 50GB of data is actually to use two different launchers. You can have your main account on Steam and your alt on the Epic Games Store. Since the game is free-to-play, you just need a separate Epic account.
If you try to do it all through Steam, you’re stuck logging out of the Steam client entirely, which is a massive pain if you use Steam Guard.
How to Set Up Your Second Profile
You’ve got a few paths here. Let’s look at how people are actually doing this in 2026 without getting their main flagged.
- The Multi-Launcher Method (PC Only): This is the gold standard. Install the game on Steam for your main. Install it again on the Epic Games Store (or the NetEase Loading Bay launcher) for your alt. You can even run them at the same time if your PC is a beast, though I wouldn't recommend it if you value your frame rate.
- The Steam Family/Account Swap: You sign out of Steam, create a new Steam account with a fresh email, and "purchase" (for free) Marvel Rivals again. When you launch, the game sees a totally new ID.
- Console Profile Hopping: On Xbox or PS5, it’s actually easier. You just create a new local user profile on the console, link it to a new PSN/Xbox Live account, and boot the game. Since the game doesn't require a paid subscription for F2P titles in most regions, you’re good to go.
A Warning on Cross-Progression
NetEase introduced some pretty complex cross-progression recently. If you link your accounts, you’re essentially merging your "character" across platforms. If you’re trying to keep an alt account separate—like, you want your PC account to be Top 500 and your console account to be a chill place to play with your cousin—do not link them.
Once they are bound in the "Account Binding" settings, they share progress. You’ll just end up with two ways to access the same high-rank account, which defeats the purpose of having an alt in the first place.
Is Smurfing Actually Bannable?
This is where things get spicy. If you look at the subreddits or the official Discord, you’ll see people claiming they got "100-year bans" for smurfing.
Is it true? Kinda, but not really.
Most of those "100-year bans" are actually for cheating—wallhacks or aimbots—and the players are just claiming it was for smurfing to save face. However, NetEase does have a detection system for "unfair matchmaking behavior." If you’re a Grandmaster-level Iron Man and you’re going 60-0 in a Bronze lobby on a fresh Marvel Rivals alt account, the system is going to notice.
Usually, the game doesn't ban you. Instead, it uses "aggressive MMR calibration." You might think you’re going to spend a week stomping newbies, but by your third match, the game will realize your skill level and start pitting you against other smurfs.
Expert Tip: If you're making an alt to learn a new role, like Vanguard or Strategist, the game is usually fine with that. It's when you're intentionally throwing matches to keep your rank low that the ban hammer starts looking in your direction.
The Strategy Behind the Second Account
Why bother? Well, the "Role Queue" in Rivals is great, but your MMR is often global or heavily weighted by your best hero. If you’re a world-class Hela, the game expects you to be a world-class Groot too. An alt account lets you "reset" that expectation.
It’s also about the "New Player Experience." NetEase occasionally changes the early-game rewards or the way you unlock certain permanent cosmetics. If you started playing on day one, you might have missed out on some of the newer onboarding bonuses that fresh accounts get now.
Technical Hurdles You'll Hit
If you're swapping accounts on the same PC, watch out for the appmanifest files in your Steam folder. Sometimes, Steam gets confused and thinks the game isn't installed when you switch users.
Also, keep in mind that platform-exclusive skins (like the ones for PlayStation) don't travel. If you have a cool Spider-Man skin on your PS5 alt, and you decide to link it to your PC later, you won't be able to wear that skin on the PC version. It’s a licensing thing between Marvel and the platform holders.
What to Do Next
If you're ready to start fresh, here is the most efficient way to handle it:
- Create a dedicated "Gaming Alt" email. Don't tie it to your work or primary personal email. It makes recovery a nightmare if you ever lose access.
- Pick a platform you don't usually use. If you're a Steam main, try the Epic Games Store for your alt. It keeps the files separate and prevents "profile bleed" where the wrong account logs in.
- Don't skip the tutorial. Even if you know how to play, the tutorial on a fresh account often triggers specific "hidden" MMR flags that help the game place you more accurately (or less aggressively).
- Stay away from "Account Sellers." You’ll see sites offering "Ranked Ready" Marvel Rivals accounts. Don't buy them. They are almost always botted, and NetEase sweeps those accounts in waves every few months. You’ll lose your money and the account.
Creating a Marvel Rivals alt account is a great way to de-stress, but just remember to play fair. Using an alt to "gatekeep" lower ranks only kills the game's population in the long run. Use it to learn, use it to play with friends, and use it to keep your main account's rank safe when you're having an "off" day.
Check your "Other" settings in the in-game menu to see your current Binding status before you do anything permanent. If you see a 180-day cooldown on unlinking, you'll know you're in the danger zone for account management.
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Next Steps for Your Alt Account:
- Verify your secondary email immediately to avoid "lockouts" during your first login.
- Avoid linking your phone number to the second account if you've already used it for your main, as this can trigger "duplicate account" flags in some regions.
- Test your latency on the new account; sometimes a fresh profile defaults to a different server region (like Asia or Europe) regardless of where you actually live.