Despite the risks, some Marvel Rivals players continue to flirt with danger by using mods, even after a crackdown with the launch of Season 1. Ever since the game's triumphant debut in December, players have been customizing their experience with mods that transform characters like Iron Man into Vegeta from Dragon Ball, Mantis into a goth, and Jeff the Land Shark into Pochita from Chainsaw Man.
Last week, as the Fantastic Four joined the fray and Season 1 kicked off, Marvel Rivals introduced a stealth mod restriction through asset hash checking. Developer NetEase has made it clear to IGN that the game’s terms and conditions strictly prohibit mods, cheats, bots, hacks, or any unauthorized third-party software. They've been vocal about the risks, with NetEase reinforcing their stance in a statement to IGN: "It is not recommended to modify any game files, as doing so carries the risk of getting banned."
Yet, the modding community seems undaunted. A new workaround has surfaced and is spreading rapidly across the internet. While it requires more effort than before, it's within reach for most PC gamers. Modder Prafit, who shared their workaround on Nexus Mods, issued a caution to users: “Use at your own risk,” they warned. “By using this, you are actually circumventing a system that was created to stop us from modding on the Season 1 patch start. No one knows if NetEase will ban you, but they have never issued permabans as far as we know.”
With the addition of Fantastic Four characters, new mods have emerged. For instance, Ercuallo's mod transforms Mister Fantastic into Luffy from the manga One Piece. Nexus Mods reports that this Luffy mod has been downloaded over 5,000 times in just two days since its release.
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 big question for Marvel Rivals modders and those who continue to use mods is whether NetEase will follow through with bans. While no instances of bans for mod use have been documented, the emergence of workarounds might provoke a stronger response from the developers.
NetEase's potential reasons for banning mods go beyond lost revenue from skin sales and intellectual property concerns. Mods could disrupt gameplay balance or impact the game's performance. Prafit, the modder, noted that their temporary workaround is best suited for players with powerful PCs.
In the meantime, stay updated with the Marvel Rivals Season 1 patch notes, and explore official stats on Marvel Rivals' pick and win rates in Quickplay and Competitive modes for Season 0. Don't miss out on the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins, and participate in our community tier list to vote on the strongest Marvel Rivals characters.
