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 modding platform's established guidelines. NetEase Games, the developer of Marvel Rivals, has yet to comment on the use of character mods, including those featuring controversial figures.
Marvel Rivals, a recently released hero shooter, has quickly gained millions of players. Players are experimenting with various mods to alter character appearances, ranging from alternative skins based on Marvel Comics and films to even incorporating models from other games like Fortnite.
A Nexus Mods user created and uploaded a mod replacing Captain America's model with Donald Trump. This generated significant online discussion, with some players even seeking out a purported Joe Biden mod for matches. However, both the Trump and Biden mods are now inaccessible on Nexus Mods, indicating they've been removed.
Reasons for Removal:
Nexus Mods' 2020 policy prohibiting mods related to US sociopolitical issues is cited as the reason for the removal. This policy, implemented during the contentious 2020 presidential election, aimed to prevent potentially divisive content.
The community reaction has been mixed. Many players found the mod's concept inappropriate, highlighting the incongruity of Trump's image with Captain America's. Others criticized Nexus Mods' stance on political content. It's worth noting that while many Trump mods have likely been removed from Nexus Mods, some remain available for other games like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2.
NetEase Games, the game's developer, hasn't addressed the use of character mods, focusing instead on bug fixes and resolving player account issues in the game's early stages.
