Despite Marvel Rivals' mod ban, fans of the hero shooter are dropping more custom skins than ever: "Modding Marvel Rivals lives on"

News
By published

The community can't be stopped

Marvel's Rivals
(Image credit: NetEase)

NetEase Games recently enacted an official ban on Marvel Rivals mods, which should mean no more custom skins - but as is always the case with eager fans, the community has found a way and it seems modders aren't going anywhere any time soon.

It's been a wild first season for Marvel Rivals so far, to say the least. Between its record-high player count and the addition of new characters like Mister Fantastic, a lot has been going on - but it hasn't all been positive. The fresh season also marked the implementation of a ban on mods following various custom anime-themed skins and the recent Trump and Biden debacle on Nexus. Considering the developers' point of view, the ban is unsurprising.

As dev Del Walker explained, there's a plethora of reasons behind the mod ban - the potential to cheat, NSFW or political mods, and possible legal problems since "lots of mods infringe on copyrighted designs or assets." None of this has stopped fans from continuing to produce and download mods, however. As one player writes in a post alongside a clip showcasing a new custom One Piece skin, "Modding Marvel Rivals lives on."

It lives on indeed, despite needing "extra steps to pull off" - Nexus Mods' "new this week" tab under the website's Marvel Rivals page proves as much. Over 200 new mods have dropped just this past week alone despite NetEase's ban, many of which include custom skins. There are all flavors of themed downloads drawing from other popular media now, too, whether it be colorful League of Legends champion or God of War skins.

Fans seem to be well aware of the ban and how to circumvent it as well, with many of the newer mods' descriptions proclaiming "full compatibility" with Marvel Rivals' first season and its accompanying patch. There's no telling what the future has in store for modders or how and whether or not NetEase will crack down once again, but one thing is likely for certain - as long as there's an active community, mods are sure to be found.

Check out some great new games coming this year and beyond for even more to look forward to.

See more PC Gaming News
Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

Read more
Marvel Rivals Infinity Comics promo image
As Marvel Rivals bans custom skin mods, one developer with experience on "multiple live service games" explains why
Captain America in the Marvel Rivals 'Stars Aligned' launch date trailer.
Nexus Mods got death threats after removing Trump and Biden mods for Marvel Rivals, owner says it's been site policy for years: "It's so dumb, and these people are so dumb"
Venom, Spider-Man, Peni Parker, Scarlet Witch, Magneto, and Storm pose in artwork for Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs lift bans on players mistakenly banned for cheating: "We do not and will not ban players who are playing fairly"
Invisible Woman in her Marvel Rivals character reveal trailer, surrounded by projectiles
Marvel Rivals bans popular third-party plugin: "We deem this program as cheating," but "fear not" if you've been using it
The Fantastic Four seen running towards Dracula in Marvel Rivals' Season 1 'Eternal Night Falls' trailer.
It's time to stop calling Marvel Rivals an Overwatch 2 killer now that its features have already surpassed it
Marvel Rivals Infinity Comics promo image
Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes
Latest in Third Person Shooters
Titus in Warhammer Space Marine 2
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 promises to "redefine the standards of third-person action games," but I'd rather it fix Space Marine 2's biggest problem
Captain America holds up his shield in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs reveal Season 2 is already completed, and that the studio has already completed designs for Season 3 and 4
Marvel's Rivals
Marvel Rivals developer NetEase sued by State of Decay co-creator for $900 million following claims of "false and defamatory statements"
Overwatch 2
My hopes for an Overwatch anime or Diablo horror movie are going strong as Blizzard president points out "we are Blizzard Entertainment, and not simply Blizzard Games"
A screenshot of Human Torch in his Marvel Rivals reveal trailer
New Marvel Rivals balance patch only tweaks "a handful of heroes" to maintain the "rich diversity" of the shooter's current strategies, but it also includes a much-needed buff for Human Torch
Marvel Rivals Spider-Man
Spider-Man has become every Marvel Rivals player's worst nightmare
Latest in News
Team Liquid clears Chrome King Gallywix
World of Warcraft's latest raid race ends in disappointment after 12 days with a final boss so lackluster the team who won was visibly confused to have beaten it
Mario odyssey screenshot showing mario standing with sentient forks
8 years later, Super Mario Odyssey players are still getting awed by the discovery that you can destroy metal crates by turning into a bird and pecking them 200 times
Wyrdsong
Skyrim and Fallout veterans' new open-world RPG is now a roguelike that's not open-world, after funding issues brought the team "down to a skeleton crew"
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy says his Star Wars show is trying to be "more serious about this sh*t than anybody ever has been"
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing companion Shadowheart, a young half-elf woman with long tied-back black hair
Baldur's Gate 3 animation impresses Larian Studios, prompting one dev to say "mature" animation of the RPG "would pop the f*** off"
Captain America holds up his shield in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs reveal Season 2 is already completed, and that the studio has already completed designs for Season 3 and 4
More about third person shooter
Titus in Warhammer Space Marine 2

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 promises to "redefine the standards of third-person action games," but I'd rather it fix Space Marine 2's biggest problem
Captain America holds up his shield in Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals devs reveal Season 2 is already completed, and that the studio has already completed designs for Season 3 and 4
Team Liquid clears Chrome King Gallywix

World of Warcraft's latest raid race ends in disappointment after 12 days with a final boss so lackluster the team who won was visibly confused to have beaten it
See more latest
Most Popular
Team Liquid clears Chrome King Gallywix
World of Warcraft's latest raid race ends in disappointment after 12 days with a final boss so lackluster the team who won was visibly confused to have beaten it
Mario odyssey screenshot showing mario standing with sentient forks
8 years later, Super Mario Odyssey players are still getting awed by the discovery that you can destroy metal crates by turning into a bird and pecking them 200 times
Wyrdsong
Skyrim and Fallout veterans' new open-world RPG is now a roguelike that's not open-world, after funding issues brought the team "down to a skeleton crew"
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat 2 director teases the return of characters that were killed in the first movie: "There are ways to bring dead characters back"
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy says his Star Wars show is trying to be "more serious about this sh*t than anybody ever has been"
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing companion Shadowheart, a young half-elf woman with long tied-back black hair
Baldur's Gate 3 animation impresses Larian Studios, prompting one dev to say "mature" animation of the RPG "would pop the f*** off"
Captain America holds up his shield in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs reveal Season 2 is already completed, and that the studio has already completed designs for Season 3 and 4
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
28 years after Final Fantasy 7 introduced a generation to the concept of waifus, Tetsuya Nomura says Tifa's popularity is "not just about appearance"
Kratos in God of War Ragnarök
God of War TV show writer reveals Amazon has already ordered two seasons, and that he can’t play the video games at all
GTA 6
Sick of waiting for GTA 6, one modder has put its map into GTA 5, and you can try it out right now