Marvel Rivals Season 1 has officially launched, introducing a wealth of exciting additions, including new heroes, skins, maps, and more. This latest update has been generally well-received by the community; however, one significant change has sparked considerable debate among players.
Upon the release of Season 1, developer NetEase made the controversial decision to disable modding capabilities within the game. This move prevents players from creating custom skins and other modifications, much to the dismay of the robust modding community that had developed around Marvel Rivals.
You can no longer use Custom Mod Skins in Marvel Rivals. Marvel Rivals has introduced Asset hash checking in the latest update, due to which Mods do not work anymore. [ Via: @X0X_LEAK, 🎥 ToastedShoes, Modders: Irastris, Kboy ] pic.twitter.com/4LXzohzsDP
— Marvel Rivals Intel (@RivalsAssembled) January 10, 2025
While some players have already discovered methods to bypass the ban, the freedom to creatively alter characters, such as turning Iron Man into Vegeta or the Winter Soldier into CJ from GTA: San Andreas, is considerably restricted, requiring more effort to achieve similar results.
Understanding the Decision to Disable Mods
As of now, NetEase has yet to clarify the rationale behind the removal of modding support. Given the gravity of this alteration, further communication from the developers is anticipated in the near future.
It’s important to note that the prohibition of mods is a recurring theme in live-service games. Developer Del Walker, who has worked on numerous high-profile titles, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to shed light on this issue. He discussed the various reasons that lead teams to restrict mods in games like Marvel Rivals.
With experience from renowned franchises such as Arkham, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Walker outlined critical factors influencing the decision to disable mods. His insights included concerns about exploits, the challenges of moderation, the impact on brand integrity, and competitive issues related to the skin marketplace.
Oh yeah… 8. Friendly Fire: The nightmare of a fan mod releasing an identical skin the studio planned for a future season. I know a lot of these points can be disputed, I’m just telling you what they told me. Anyway, back to being chronically offline 🔌
— Del Walker (@TheCartelDel) January 11, 2025
Walker emphasized that determining which mods are harmless can be a daunting task, often leading to accusations of hypocrisy or difficult public relations situations regarding issues of free expression. Furthermore, he highlighted the concern regarding the skin marketplace: “Skin sales drop if you have free mods as an option. Studios ain’t about to let you mess with their income.”
Given the current popularity of character skins in Marvel Rivals, this financial angle is likely a significant consideration for the development team. As a game focused on Marvel’s legendary heroes, maintaining brand consistency and artistic vision is essential. Walker remarked that allowing mods can dilute the game’s perception, undermining the integral aspects of the brand.
While the absence of modding functionality marks a significant change for Marvel Rivals in Season 1, players can still look forward to enjoying the ample content featured in the new Battle Pass and the introduction of fresh game modes to keep them engaged.
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