A Donald Trump mod for Marvel Rivals, a recently released hero shooter, has been removed from Nexus Mods due to its sociopolitical nature, violating the modding platform's established rules against such content. NetEase Games, the developer of Marvel Rivals, hasn't yet commented on the use of character mods, including those depicting controversial figures.
Marvel Rivals, boasting millions of players, allows for modification of hero models, leading to a variety of fan-created skins and character swaps. This includes instances like replacing default characters with Fortnite versions or, in this case, substituting Captain America's model with that of Donald Trump. This particular mod gained traction on social media, even prompting searches for a corresponding Joe Biden mod. However, both mods are now inaccessible on Nexus Mods, indicating a ban.
The Reason Behind the Removal:
Nexus Mods' 2020 policy explicitly prohibits mods related to US sociopolitical issues. This policy, enacted during the highly contested 2020 presidential election, aims to maintain a neutral platform. The removal of the Trump mod aligns with this pre-existing guideline.
Social media reaction has been mixed. While many players understood the ban, citing the incongruity of Trump's likeness with Captain America, some expressed dissatisfaction with Nexus Mods' stance on political content. It's worth noting that this isn't an isolated incident; while many similar mods have likely been removed, Trump-themed mods persist in other games like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2.
NetEase Games, currently focused on addressing bugs and resolving player account issues in the new game, has yet to weigh in on the matter of user-created character mods and their potential impact.