Since the highly successful launch of Marvel Rivals in December, players have been customizing their gameplay experience with mods, despite the risk of account bans. These mods range from transforming Iron Man into Vegeta from Dragon Ball to styling Mantis as a goth, and even morphing Jeff the Land Shark into Pochita from Chainsaw Man. However, with the introduction of Season 1 and the Fantastic Four, NetEase implemented a secret mod restriction through asset hash checking. The developer explicitly stated to IGN that using mods, along with cheats, bots, hacks, or any unauthorized third-party software, violates the game's terms and conditions. They reinforced their stance by warning players: "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 surfaced online, making it possible for PC players to continue modding, albeit with more steps involved. Modder Prafit, who shared their workaround on Nexus Mods, cautioned users: "Use at your own risk." They noted that this workaround bypasses the system introduced with the Season 1 patch, but emphasized that no one knows if NetEase will resort to permanent bans, as none have been reported so far.
The modding community has not slowed down, with new mods emerging that capitalize on the addition of Fantastic Four characters. 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 on 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 ongoing use of mods raises the question of whether NetEase will follow through with bans as threatened. While no bans have been confirmed, the existence of workarounds might prompt further action from the developers. NetEase's potential reasons for banning mods include lost revenue from skin sales, intellectual property concerns, and the impact mods could have on gameplay balance and game performance. Modder Prafit advised that their workaround is best suited for those with high-performance PCs.
In the meantime, players can explore the Season 1 patch notes and review official stats on pick and win rates for Season 0 in Quickplay and Competitive modes. Keep an eye out for the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins, and participate in our community tier list to vote on the strongest Marvel Rivals characters.
