Marvel Rivals Season 1 Update Banishes Mods

Marvel Rivals Season 1 Update Cracks Down on Mods

The recent Season 1 update for Marvel Rivals has reportedly disabled the use of custom-made mods, a popular practice among players since the game's launch. While not explicitly announced, players discovered their mods no longer function, reverting characters to their default appearances.

This move, though unsurprising given NetEase's clear terms of service prohibiting mods, has disappointed many players who enjoyed creating and using custom skins. The company has previously banned individual mods, including one featuring Donald Trump's likeness. The Season 1 update likely employs hash checking, a technique verifying data authenticity, to effectively eliminate mod functionality.

Season 1 itself introduced significant content, including playable Fantastic Four characters (Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman initially, with the Thing and Human Torch to follow), a new Battle Pass, maps, and a Doom Match mode.

The decision to ban mods is likely driven by financial considerations. As a free-to-play game, Marvel Rivals relies on in-app purchases of character bundles containing cosmetic items. The availability of free, custom mods could severely impact the game's profitability. While some mods featured controversial content, including nude character skins, the primary motivation for the ban appears to be preserving the game's revenue model. This has left mod creators frustrated, with some sharing their unreleased creations online. The update effectively removes the need for individual bans, streamlining enforcement of the game's terms of service.