Marvel Rivals Fans Risk Bans for Modding Despite Season 1 Crackdown

Despite the risk of account bans, players of Marvel Rivals are continuing to use mods following the game's clampdown with the launch of Season 1. Since the game's successful debut in December, players have been customizing their experience with mods, transforming characters like Iron Man into Vegeta from Dragon Ball, Mantis into a goth, and even turning Jeff the Land Shark into Pochita from Chainsaw Man.

Last week, with the release of the Fantastic Four and the start of Season 1, Marvel Rivals introduced a new mod restriction through asset hash checking. NetEase, the game's developer, reiterated 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. They warned players that modifying game files could lead to bans, stating, "It is not recommended to modify any game files, as doing so carries the risk of getting banned."

Despite these warnings, some players remain undeterred. A workaround has been discovered and shared widely online, requiring more steps but still accessible to most PC users. Modder Prafit, who shared their workaround on Nexus Mods, cautioned users with a "Use at your own risk" notice, acknowledging that it bypasses the new system designed to prevent modding. Prafit noted, "No-one knows if NetEase will ban you, but they have never issued permabans as far as we know."

The introduction of the Fantastic Four characters has sparked new modding opportunities. For instance, Ercuallo's mod transforms Mister Fantastic into Luffy from the manga One Piece, which has already seen over 5,000 downloads in just two days since its release, according to 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 modding community is now questioning whether NetEase will follow through with bans, as no confirmed cases of players being banned for modding have surfaced yet. However, the existence of workarounds might provoke further action from the developers.

NetEase's interest in banning mods stems from multiple concerns, including potential revenue loss from skin sales, intellectual property issues, and the impact mods could have on gameplay balance and game performance. Modder Prafit advised that their workaround should only be used by those with a "beefy" PC, highlighting potential performance issues.

In the meantime, players can review the Marvel Rivals Season 1 patch notes, check out the official 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 the community tier list.