Marvel Rivals Donald Trump Mod Reportedly Banned

Summary

A Donald Trump character mod for the game Marvel Rivals has been removed from Nexus Mods, reportedly due to its violation of the platform's policies against mods related to sociopolitical issues. NetEase Games, the developer of Marvel Rivals, has yet to comment on the matter or the broader use of character mods within the game.

Marvel Rivals, a hero shooter game released recently, has quickly gained millions of players. Players are experimenting with various mods to customize character models, ranging from alternate skins based on Marvel comics and films to even crossovers with other franchises like Fortnite.

A Nexus Mods user created and uploaded a mod replacing Captain America's model with Donald Trump. This mod gained attention on social media, 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, indicating they have been removed.

Reasons for Removal:

Nexus Mods' 2020 blog post established a policy against mods involving US sociopolitical issues. This policy, implemented around the time of the 2020 presidential election, likely triggered the removal of the Trump mod.

Social media reactions were mixed. Some players found the ban unsurprising, citing the incongruity of Trump's image with Captain America's character. Others expressed dissatisfaction with Nexus Mods' censorship of political content. It's worth noting that while this specific mod was removed, Trump-related mods persist in other games like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2.

NetEase Games, the game developer, hasn't publicly addressed the use of character mods, focusing instead on other issues like bug fixes and resolving wrongful account bans. Given the game's recent release, this silence is perhaps understandable as they prioritize other immediate concerns.