Marvel Mod Removing Trump Causes Stir

Summary

A Donald Trump character mod for the game Marvel Rivals has been removed from Nexus Mods, reportedly due to its sociopolitical nature, violating the platform's established rules against such content. NetEase Games, the developer of Marvel Rivals, has yet to comment on the use of character mods, including those featuring controversial figures.

Marvel Rivals, a hero shooter game released recently, has quickly gained millions of players. Players frequently utilize mods to customize character models, ranging from alternate skins based on Marvel comics and films to even incorporating characters from other franchises like Fortnite.

A Nexus Mods user created and uploaded a mod replacing Captain America's model with Donald Trump. This mod gained attention on social media, with some users even seeking out a corresponding Joe Biden mod for competitive matches. However, the Trump mod (and seemingly the Biden mod) has since been removed from Nexus Mods, resulting in an error message when users attempt to access it.

Reason for Removal:

Nexus Mods' 2020 blog post outlined a policy banning mods related to US sociopolitical issues. This policy, implemented around the time of the 2020 presidential election, aimed to prevent potentially divisive content on the platform.

Social media reactions to the mod's removal were mixed. Many players found the decision unsurprising, citing the incongruity of Trump's likeness with Captain America's established persona. Others expressed dissatisfaction with Nexus Mods' stance on political imagery in mods. While this isn't the first instance of Trump-themed video game mods, many have likely been removed from Nexus Mods, although some remain available for games like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2.

NetEase Games, the game developer, has not publicly addressed the use of character mods or the removal of the Trump mod. The company is currently focused on addressing other game-related issues, such as bug fixes and resolving wrongful account bans.