Summary
A Donald Trump character mod for the game Marvel Rivals has been removed from Nexus Mods, reportedly due to its violation of the modding platform's policy against sociopolitically charged content. NetEase Games, the developer of Marvel Rivals, has yet to comment on the matter or the broader issue of character mods within the game.
Marvel Rivals, a recently released hero shooter, has quickly gained millions of players. Players have been creating and sharing mods to alter character appearances, ranging from cosmetic skins based on Marvel comics and films to less conventional choices like Fortnite character models.
The Trump mod, which replaced Captain America's model, generated significant online discussion, with some users even seeking out a purported Joe Biden mod for competitive matchups. However, both the Trump and Biden mods are now inaccessible on Nexus Mods, resulting in error messages.
Reasons for Removal:
Nexus Mods' 2020 policy prohibiting mods related to US sociopolitical issues is cited as the reason for the removal. This policy was implemented around the time of the 2020 US presidential election.
The mod's removal has sparked mixed reactions online. Many players found the mod inappropriate, highlighting the incongruity between Captain America's image and that of Donald Trump. Others expressed dissatisfaction with Nexus Mods' stance on political content in mods. While this is not the first instance of Trump-themed video game mods, many have been removed from Nexus Mods, though some remain available for other games such as Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2.
NetEase Games, the game developer, has not publicly addressed the use of character mods, including those depicting controversial figures, focusing instead on addressing game bugs and resolving player account issues.
