Marvel Rivals Modders Risk Bans Post-Season 1 Crackdown

Since the explosive launch of Marvel Rivals in December, players have been diving into the world of mods, customizing skins despite the looming threat of account bans. Popular modifications have included transforming Iron Man into Vegeta from Dragon Ball, Mantis into a goth, and even turning Jeff the Land Shark into Pochita from Chainsaw Man. These mods have added a layer of personal flair to the gameplay, allowing players to express their creativity.

However, with the release of Season 1 and the introduction of the Fantastic Four, Marvel Rivals implemented a new measure to curb mod usage: asset hash checking. Developer NetEase emphasized to IGN that the game's terms and conditions strictly prohibit the use of mods, cheats, bots, hacks, or any unauthorized third-party software. They had previously cautioned players about the potential consequences of modding, and reiterated their stance in a statement to IGN: "It is not recommended to modify any game files, as doing so carries the risk of getting banned."

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Despite these warnings, some players remain undeterred. A workaround for the new restrictions has surfaced online, requiring more steps but still accessible to most PC players. Modder Prafit, who shared their workaround on Nexus Mods, included a disclaimer: "Use at your own risk," Prafit warned in the mod's description. "By using this, you are actually circumventing a system that was created to stop us from modding on the Season 1 patch start. No one knows if NetEase will ban you, but they have never issued permabans as far as we know."

New mods have also emerged, capitalizing on the addition of Fantastic Four characters. For instance, Ercuallo's mod transforms Mister Fantastic into Luffy from the manga One Piece, and it has already been downloaded over 5,000 times within two days of its launch, according to Nexus Mods statistics.

Modding Marvel Rivals lives on but it needs extra steps to pull off pic.twitter.com/VEeiiHyxiA

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The ongoing use of mods raises the question of whether NetEase will follow through on its threats to ban players. So far, the community has not found any instances of bans related to mod usage, but the emergence of workarounds could provoke further action from the developers.

NetEase's motivation to ban mods could stem from concerns over lost revenue from skin sales, potential intellectual property issues, and the impact mods might have on gameplay balance and performance. Modder Prafit noted that their workaround is best suited for those with high-performance PCs.

In the meantime, players can explore the Marvel Rivals Season 1 patch notes, and check out official stats on Marvel Rivals' pick and win rates in Quickplay and Competitive modes for Season 0. Don't forget to look out for the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins, and participate in our community tier list to vote on the strongest Marvel Rivals characters.