Shooting yourself in the foot to ruin a winning formula seems like an age-old tradition in gaming these days. Today, look no further than Marvel Rivals, an Overwatch-style hero shooter starring all of your favorite Marvel characters (though not as you know them, because acting likenesses are at a premium).

In the pre-release contracts given to certain gaming influencers, Marvel Rivals developer NetEase included a clause stating that no “subjective negative reviews” could be written about the game. However, it is now repealing that clause after widespread backlash.

The exact nature of May's non-disparagement clause was initially widely reported by Overwatch streamer Seagull, who displayed the terms on-screen during a stream and confirmed with other content creators that they were real. With even "satirical" comments prohibited by the terms of the contract, it became clear that anything short of sincere praise for the game was strictly forbidden by NetEase.

Now, NetEase has retracted the terms and apologized for their initially strict limits in statements sent to several publications, including Dot Esports, and in a public Discord announcement. The May 12 statement explained the contract as a “draft version aimed at long-term cooperation with the creators interested in Marvel Rivals” and acknowledged the “inappropriate and misleading terms when involved creators first provided feedback.”