Summary

A Donald Trump character mod for the game Marvel Rivals has been removed from Nexus Mods due to its sociopolitical nature, violating the platform's established rules against such content. The game's developer, NetEase Games, has yet to comment on the matter or the broader issue of character mods.

Marvel Rivals, a recently released hero shooter, has quickly gained millions of players. Players are experimenting with various modifications, including cosmetic changes and even replacing character models with those from other franchises like Fortnite.

A mod replacing Captain America's model with Donald Trump circulated on social media, prompting some users to seek out a corresponding Joe Biden mod. However, both mods are now inaccessible on Nexus Mods, resulting in error messages.

Reasons for Removal:

Nexus Mods' policy, established in 2020 amidst a politically charged US election, prohibits mods related to US sociopolitical issues. This policy, while controversial to some, aligns with the platform's moderation guidelines. The decision to remove the Trump mod reflects this pre-existing policy. While this isn't the first instance of Trump-related mods appearing in games (some still exist for titles like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and XCOM 2), Nexus Mods consistently enforces its established guidelines.

Developer Response:

NetEase Games, the developer of Marvel Rivals, has not publicly addressed the controversy surrounding character mods, including those depicting politically charged figures. The company is currently focused on addressing other pressing issues, such as bug fixes and resolving player account bans.