Marvel Rivals Season 1 Update Cracks Down on Mods
Marvel Rivals' Season 1 update, released January 10th, 2025, has reportedly disabled custom-made mods. This affects a significant portion of the player base who enjoyed creating and using personalized character skins. While not explicitly announced, the update's implementation of hash checking – a data verification method – effectively prevents the use of modified game files.
The Fantastic Four's arrival as playable characters, a new Battle Pass, maps, and the "Doom Match" game mode headline Season 1's official content. However, the unintended consequence of the anti-mod measure has left many players disappointed, as their customized superhero and villain appearances have reverted to default.
NetEase Games, the developer, has consistently maintained that mod usage violates the game's terms of service, even for purely cosmetic modifications. Previous actions against individual mods, including a controversial Donald Trump skin replacing Captain America, foreshadowed this broader crackdown. The community's reaction has been mixed, with some creators mourning unreleased mods and others acknowledging the business implications.
While some provocative mods, including nude skins, sparked player complaints, the primary driver behind the mod ban is likely financial. As a free-to-play game, Marvel Rivals relies heavily on in-app purchases of character bundles featuring cosmetic items. The availability of free, custom mods directly threatens the game's monetization strategy and potential profitability. Therefore, eliminating mod usage is viewed as a necessary, albeit unpopular, business decision.
