Summary
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, has yet to comment 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 custom skins and character replacements. This includes instances of popular characters like Captain America and Spider-Man receiving alternate skins from other franchises.
The Trump mod, replacing Captain America's model, gained traction on social media, even prompting searches for a corresponding Joe Biden mod. However, both mods are now inaccessible on Nexus Mods, resulting in error messages.
Reason for Removal:
Nexus Mods' 2020 policy explicitly prohibits mods related to US sociopolitical issues. This policy, implemented during the highly contested 2020 presidential election, aims to maintain a neutral platform and avoid potentially divisive content.
The ban has garnered mixed reactions. While many Marvel Rivals players found the mod's removal unsurprising, citing the incompatibility of Captain America's image with Trump's, others expressed dissatisfaction with Nexus Mods' political censorship. It's worth noting that similar Trump mods exist for other games like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2, indicating the prevalence of such modifications despite platform policies.
NetEase Games, the game's developer, remains silent on the matter, currently focusing on addressing other game-related issues such as bug fixes and resolving wrongful account bans.
