Trump Mod Removed in Marvel's Contest

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 in the game.

Marvel Rivals, a hero shooter released a month ago, has quickly gained millions of players. Players are experimenting with various strategies and character interactions, and some are enhancing their experience through custom mods. These mods range from alternative skins based on Marvel comics and films to completely replacing character models, such as substituting Fortnite versions of Captain America and Spider-Man.

The Trump mod, replacing Captain America's model, generated significant online discussion, with some players even seeking out a Joe Biden counterpart for online matches. However, the mod is now inaccessible on Nexus Mods, resulting in an error message. Similarly, searches for a Biden mod yield no results.

Reasons for Removal:

Nexus Mods' 2020 policy prohibits mods related to US sociopolitical issues. This policy, implemented during the contentious 2020 presidential election, prompted the removal of the mod. Social media reactions were mixed, with some users agreeing with the ban due to the perceived inappropriateness of the Trump model for Captain America, while others criticized Nexus Mods for its censorship of political content. Despite this ban, Trump mods persist in other games like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2.

NetEase Games, the game developer, has not publicly addressed the use of character mods or the removal of the Trump mod. The company is currently focusing on resolving other issues such as gameplay bugs and addressing wrongful account bans.