Marvel Game Mod Ban Draws Ire

Summary

A Donald Trump character mod for the game Marvel Rivals has been removed from Nexus Mods, reportedly due to its violation of the modding platform's policy against sociopolitically charged content. NetEase Games, the developer of Marvel Rivals, has yet to comment on the situation or the broader use of character mods within the game.

Marvel Rivals, a recently released hero shooter, has quickly gained millions of players. Players are experimenting with various mods, altering character models with skins from Marvel comics and movies, and even incorporating models from other games like Fortnite.

A mod replacing Captain America's model with Donald Trump sparked online discussion, with some users even seeking out a corresponding Joe Biden mod for matches. However, both the Trump and Biden mods are now inaccessible on Nexus Mods, resulting in error messages.

Reasons for Removal:

Nexus Mods' 2020 policy prohibiting mods related to US sociopolitical issues is cited as the reason for the removal. This policy, implemented around the time of the 2020 presidential election, aims to maintain a neutral platform.

The ban has elicited mixed reactions on social media. While many players found the mod inappropriate given Captain America's established character, others criticized Nexus Mods' stance on political content. This isn't an isolated incident; while many similar Trump mods have likely been removed from Nexus Mods, some remain available for other games like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2.

NetEase Games, the game developer, has not publicly addressed the issue of character mods or the removal of the Trump mod. The company is currently focused on addressing other game-related issues such as bug fixes and resolving wrongful account bans.