Digital Duel Grounds: Marvel Rivals Ultron's Battle Matrix Protocol Map

The setup you need to know

This is an auto-battler, not a standard hero shooter. Players will play as an Ultron Drone and select their team of 6 Heroes which will be controlled by AIs. Players will go through multiple rounds of battles until only one player remains. Battle rounds are divided into two categories: Battle Protocol (PVP) and Practice Protocol (PVE).

In a Battle Protocol round, players are paired evenly to engage in a battle. Players who lose the match will have their health points deducted, and if there is a tie, players on both sides will lose health points. If the number of players at the start of a round is odd and pairing cannot be evenly matched, the unpaired player will face a mirrored lineup of a randomly selected opponent

You start by drafting six heroes from a randomized pool, position them on the chessboard-like field, apply cards to buff their stats and abilities, and then watch the AI auto-battle. You control an Ultron Drone during the fight and can use its abilities to influence the match.

Playing the mode properly (drafting phase)

Draft for synergy, not just power. The team-up combos still work in this mode, so drafting heroes with active synergies (like Hulk + Iron Man for Gamma Overdrive, or Magneto + Scarlet Witch) gives you free stat boosts.

Prioritize survivability over flashy DPS. The AI doesn't dodge, doesn't peel, doesn't kite. Heroes that survive on their own win the auto-battle math more often than glass-cannon DPS that get focused down.

Look for AI-friendly abilities. Heroes whose value depends on raw stats and auto-targeting (Squirrel Girl, Scarlet Witch, Cloak & Dagger) outperform heroes who need positional play (Spider-Man, Black Panther, Magik).

Manage your card economy. Cards enhance specific heroes or entire classes. If your draft is heavy on Duelists, stack Duelist-class cards. If you got lucky and grabbed Hulk early, dump cards into him to make him unkillable.

Playing the mode properly (battle phase)

Use the Ultron Drone abilities actively. The players can use the Ultron Drone's abilities during a match. This is your one direct lever on the fight. Use it to peel for a low-HP carry, boost a weakened tank, or punish an enemy at a critical moment.

Position your heroes carefully before the round starts. The AI fights from where you place them, so put tanks in front, DPS in the middle row, and supports in the back. Don't put a Mantis in front of your Hulk.

Watch the enemy's draft. Knowing what your opponent has tells you what to draft and how to position. If they went heavy AoE damage, spread your heroes out. If they have a key carry, focus that hero with your drone abilities.

Playing the mode properly (between rounds)

In Practice Protocol rounds (PVE), you fight against waves of enemies to earn rewards. Don't slack on these. PVE rounds give you cards, gold, and resources to improve your main team for the next PVP round.

Save your health pool. Every PVP loss deducts your HP. Don't go for big plays you can't win. Lose by a smaller margin if you have to, since less HP loss means more rounds to keep fighting.

Re-roll the draft pool if you have re-roll options. The randomized hero pool means you might get a bad lineup. If the mode gives you re-roll currency, use it to find better picks.

General things that matter

This was a limited-time experimental mode. Ultron's Battle Matrix Protocol was an Experimental Game Mode available during the Season 2.5 Event Ultron's Battle Matrix Protocol from 6/6/25 to 6/23/25. The event ended on June 23, 2025, so this mode and map are not currently in the standard rotation. You can only revisit it if NetEase brings it back as a limited event or makes it permanently playable in future patches.

The mode was an experiment in fulfilling player fantasies. NetEase said the mode is "an experiment for how the development team can attempt to fulfill players' fantasies of Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains. Players can take control of a wider array of characters and amplify their stats and abilities." So it was always meant to be a casual side mode rather than a competitive grind.

If you queue this mode (assuming it returns), expect chaos. Auto-battlers are inherently random, and AI behavior can sometimes outright sabotage you with bad positioning decisions. Treat it as a fun strategy puzzle rather than a precision skill test.

Card knowledge wins games. The players who understood which cards stacked best with which heroes consistently outperformed players who just drafted strong heroes without considering synergy. If the mode returns, spend practice time learning the card pool before competing seriously.

Last thing: since this was a one-off experimental mode, the dev team specifically called it out as an experiment. If it returns in a revamped form, the rules might change significantly. Don't assume the strategy here applies forever. The auto-battler genre is finicky and patch-sensitive, so adapt to the current ruleset whenever you queue.