Marvel Rivals Season 1 Update Tames Mods

Marvel Rivals Season 1 Update Cracks Down on Mods

The Season 1 update for Marvel Rivals has reportedly disabled the use of custom-made mods, a popular practice among players since the game's launch. While not explicitly announced, players discovered their mods no longer function after the January 10, 2025 update.

Season 1 introduced significant content, including playable Fantastic Four characters (Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman initially, with Thing and Human Torch to follow), a new Battle Pass, maps, and a Doom Match mode. However, the simultaneous elimination of mod functionality has sparked debate.

NetEase Games, the developer, has consistently maintained that mod usage violates the game's terms of service, even for cosmetic changes. Previous actions, such as banning a mod featuring Donald Trump's likeness, foreshadowed this broader crackdown. The update likely incorporates hash checking, a technique verifying data authenticity, effectively preventing mod usage.

While some players mourn the loss of customizable content and unreleased mods, NetEase's decision is unsurprising given Marvel Rivals' free-to-play model. The game relies on in-app purchases for character bundles containing skins and other cosmetics. The availability of free, custom cosmetics could severely impact the game's profitability. Therefore, the ban on mods serves as a crucial business strategy for NetEase. While some mods contained provocative content, including nude skins, this is likely not the sole driver behind the decision.