Despite the risks, some Marvel Rivals players are continuing to use mods, even after the game's developers, NetEase, implemented stricter controls with the launch of Season 1. The game, which saw a massive surge in popularity following its December launch, has seen players creating and using mods to customize character skins, despite warnings about potential account bans. Some of the most popular mods include transforming Iron Man into Vegeta from Dragon Ball, Mantis into a goth character, and Jeff the Land Shark into Pochita from Chainsaw Man.
With the release of the Fantastic Four and Season 1 last week, NetEase introduced a new method to combat mods through asset hash checking. The developer has explicitly stated to IGN that the use of mods, along with cheats, bots, hacks, or any unauthorized third-party software, violates the game's terms and conditions. NetEase had previously cautioned players about the risks associated with modding and reiterated this warning, saying, "It is not recommended to modify any game files, as doing so carries the risk of getting banned."
Nevertheless, determined modders have found a workaround, which, though more complex than before, remains accessible to many PC users. This workaround has been shared widely online. Modder Prafit, who posted their solution on Nexus Mods, advised users to proceed with caution: “Use at your own risk,” they noted in the mod's description. They further explained, “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.”
Following the introduction of the Fantastic Four, new mods have emerged, such as Ercuallo's mod that turns Mister Fantastic into Luffy from the manga One Piece. This mod has already been downloaded over 5,000 times in just two days, as reported by Nexus Mods.
Modding Marvel Rivals lives on but it needs extra steps to pull off pic.twitter.com/VEeiiHyxiA
— Marvel Rivals - Leaks & Info (@RivalsLeaks) January 12, 2025
The looming question for the Marvel Rivals modding community is whether NetEase will follow through with bans. While no confirmed cases of bans for modding have surfaced, the ongoing use of workarounds might provoke further action from the developers. NetEase's potential reasons for banning mods include lost revenue from official skin sales, intellectual property issues, and concerns over gameplay balance and performance. Modder Prafit has suggested that their workaround is best suited for those with high-performance PCs.
In the meantime, players can review the Season 1 patch notes for Marvel Rivals, check out the official stats on pick and win rates for Season 0 in Quickplay and Competitive modes, and stay updated with the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins. Additionally, the community can participate in voting for the strongest characters in our community tier list.
