Marvel Rivals Season 1 Update Cracks Down on Mods
Marvel Rivals' Season 1 update has reportedly disabled custom-made mods, a popular feature among players since launch. While not officially announced, players discovered their mods no longer function, reverting characters to their default appearances.
NetEase Games, the developer, has consistently maintained that mod usage violates the game's terms of service, even for purely cosmetic modifications. Previous actions, including banning a mod featuring Donald Trump's likeness, foreshadowed this broader crackdown. The Season 1 update likely incorporates hash checking, a technique verifying data authenticity, effectively eliminating widespread modding.
Season 1, launched January 10, 2025, following a successful initial release, introduced significant content: The Fantastic Four as playable characters (Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman initially, with Thing and Human Torch to follow), a new Battle Pass, updated maps, and a new Doom Match mode.
The anti-mod stance, though impacting players who enjoyed custom content, is unsurprising. As a free-to-play game, Marvel Rivals relies heavily on in-game purchases of character bundles including skins and cosmetic items. Free, user-created mods could severely undermine the game's monetization strategy. While some mods featured controversial content, the primary driver behind the ban is likely the need to protect revenue streams. The consequences are evident, with mod creators mourning unreleased projects now rendered obsolete.
