The beta test for Invincible VS, the upcoming fighting game based on Robert Kirkman's superhero universe, may be winding down — but players say one problem needs fixing before launch: opponents who disconnect the moment they start losing.

As the test phase concludes, a vocal segment of the game's early community is pressing developers Skybound and Quarter Up to implement penalties for "rage quitting," the practice of abruptly leaving online matches to avoid taking a loss on one's record. According to reports from IGN, the issue has become widespread enough that players consider it a threat to the game's competitive integrity.

A Familiar Fighting Game Problem

Rage quitting isn't new to competitive gaming, but it's particularly damaging in fighting games, where ranked progression depends on win-loss records and matchmaking ratings. When an opponent disconnects mid-match, the remaining player often receives no credit for the win, wasting their time and stalling their competitive progress.

The phenomenon has plagued major fighting game franchises for years, leading developers to implement increasingly sophisticated detection systems and penalties. Games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 now track disconnection patterns and can temporarily ban repeat offenders from online play or dock ranking points.

Invincible VS appears to lack such safeguards in its current beta form, creating what some players describe as a frustrating loop: dominate a match, watch your opponent disconnect, receive no reward, repeat.

Community Calls for Consequences

The beta community's concerns center on what happens at launch. Without deterrents in place, players worry the behavior will become endemic, particularly among those climbing ranked ladders who view disconnecting as a cost-free way to protect their statistics.

Fighting game communities have long debated the most effective penalties. Too lenient, and they fail to discourage the behavior. Too harsh, and they risk punishing players with legitimate connection issues. The challenge for developers is distinguishing between intentional abandonment and genuine technical problems — a task that requires tracking disconnection frequency, timing, and patterns.

Quarter Up, the development studio behind Invincible VS, has built the game as a platform fighter in the vein of MultiVersus or Super Smash Bros., featuring characters from Kirkman's comic series including Omni-Man, Invincible, and other heroes and villains from that universe. The game's competitive viability depends significantly on maintaining a healthy ranked environment.

What Penalties Might Look Like

If Skybound and Quarter Up choose to address the issue, they have several proven models to draw from. Temporary matchmaking bans are common, starting with short lockouts of 5-10 minutes and escalating for repeat offenders. Some games implement "leaver queues" that match chronic quitters against each other, effectively quarantining them from the broader player base.

More sophisticated systems track when disconnections occur. A player whose connection drops during the opening seconds of a match looks different, statistically, from one who consistently disconnects while losing in the final round. Modern anti-rage-quit systems weight these patterns heavily.

Point penalties represent another approach: automatic ranking reductions for disconnections, regardless of circumstance. This method is blunt but effective, though it generates complaints from players with unstable internet connections.

The beta feedback suggests players would accept almost any system over the current apparent lack of consequences. For competitive communities, the perception that rule-breaking goes unpunished can be as damaging as the violations themselves.

Launch Window Approaching

With the beta test concluding, Skybound and Quarter Up face a narrow window to implement changes before the game's full release. While no official launch date has been announced, beta tests typically occur in the final months before a game goes live, suggesting Invincible VS could arrive sometime in 2026.

Whether the developers will respond to community concerns remains to be seen. Neither Skybound nor Quarter Up has publicly commented on the rage-quitting issue or announced plans for penalty systems in the launch version.

For now, beta players can only hope their feedback reaches the development team in time. In competitive gaming, first impressions matter — and a launch plagued by match abandonment could sour the community before the game finds its footing.

The Invincible franchise has proven its appeal across comics, animation, and now gaming. Whether Invincible VS can maintain that momentum may depend, in part, on whether players feel their competitive efforts are respected and protected.