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. NetEase Games, the developer of Marvel Rivals, has yet to comment on the use of character mods, including those depicting controversial figures.
Marvel Rivals, a recently released hero shooter, has quickly gained millions of players. Players are utilizing mods to customize the game's characters, ranging from alternate skins based on Marvel comics and films to even incorporating characters from other games like Fortnite.
A Nexus Mods user created and uploaded a mod replacing Captain America's model with Donald Trump. This mod gained traction on social media, with some users even seeking out a purported Joe Biden mod for a matchup. However, both the Trump and Biden mods are now inaccessible on Nexus Mods, indicating removal.
Reasons 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.
Social media reactions to the ban were mixed. Some players found the ban unsurprising, citing the incongruity of Trump's image with Captain America's established persona. Others expressed dissatisfaction with Nexus Mods' stance on political content. It's worth noting that while many Trump-related 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 developer, hasn't addressed the issue of character mods, focusing instead on resolving gameplay bugs and addressing player account issues within the new game.
