Summary

A Donald Trump character mod for the video 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. The game's modding community has been active, creating various modifications, including alternate skins based on Marvel Comics and movies, and even incorporating characters from other games like Fortnite.

A mod replacing Captain America's model with Donald Trump circulated on social media, prompting some players to seek out a corresponding Joe Biden mod. However, both mods are now inaccessible on Nexus Mods, resulting in error messages.

Reasons for Removal:

Nexus Mods' 2020 policy explicitly prohibits mods related to US sociopolitical issues. This policy, implemented around the time of the 2020 presidential election, aims to maintain a neutral platform and avoid potentially inflammatory content.

Social media reactions to the ban were mixed. While many players found the mod inappropriate given Captain America's established character, others criticized Nexus Mods for its censorship of political imagery. It's worth noting that despite this ban, Trump mods for other games, such as Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2, remain available on Nexus Mods.

NetEase Games, the game developer, hasn't publicly addressed the use of character mods, including those depicting controversial figures, focusing instead on addressing game bugs and player account issues. This silence leaves the future of political character mods in Marvel Rivals uncertain.