Nexus Mods Bans Donald Trump Marvel Rivals Mod Due to Sociopolitical Concerns
A recently uploaded Donald Trump mod for the popular hero shooter, Marvel Rivals, has been removed from Nexus Mods, citing violations of its sociopolitical rules. The mod, which replaced Captain America's model with that of Donald Trump, quickly gained attention on social media, even sparking searches for a corresponding Joe Biden mod. However, both mods are now inaccessible on the platform, returning error messages.
Marvel Rivals, developed by NetEase Games, has seen millions of players since its release, utilizing mods to customize character appearances with skins from various sources, including Marvel Comics, movies, and even other games like Fortnite.
The removal of the Trump mod aligns with Nexus Mods' 2020 policy against mods involving US sociopolitical issues, a policy implemented during the highly contested presidential election. While the decision has been met with mixed reactions online, with some supporting the ban and others criticizing Nexus Mods' stance on political imagery, it's not the first instance of such removals. Similar mods featuring Trump have been removed from other modding platforms, although some still exist for games like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2.
NetEase Games, the developer of Marvel Rivals, has yet to comment on the use of character mods, particularly those with political figures. The company is currently focused on addressing other issues, such as in-game bugs and resolving wrongful account bans.