Summary
A Donald Trump character mod for the game Marvel Rivals has been removed from Nexus Mods, reportedly due to its sociopolitical nature, violating the platform's established rules against such content. The game's developer, NetEase Games, has yet to comment on the use of character mods in general.
Marvel Rivals, a recently released hero shooter, has quickly gained millions of players. Players often enhance their experience with mods, altering character models with skins from comics, movies, and even other games like Fortnite. The introduction of a Donald Trump mod, replacing Captain America's model, generated significant online attention, even sparking searches for a corresponding Joe Biden mod. However, both mods are now inaccessible on Nexus Mods, resulting in error messages.
Reasons for Removal:
Nexus Mods' policy, implemented in 2020 amidst the US presidential election, prohibits mods related to US sociopolitical issues. This decision aligns with their commitment to maintaining a neutral platform. While the removal of the Trump mod has largely been met with understanding online, with many commenting on the incongruity of Trump's likeness with Captain America, some players have expressed dissatisfaction with Nexus Mods' political content restrictions. It's worth noting that similar Trump mods have existed for other games like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2, suggesting the policy's selective enforcement within the context of Marvel Rivals.
NetEase Games, the game developer, has not publicly addressed the use of character mods, focusing instead on resolving in-game bugs and addressing player account issues. The silence on this particular controversy leaves the future of modding in Marvel Rivals uncertain.
