Despite the risk of account bans, players of *Marvel Rivals* continue to use mods, even following a crackdown that accompanied the launch of Season 1. Since the game's successful debut in December, fans have been customizing skins, transforming characters like Iron Man into Vegeta from *Dragon Ball* and Mantis into a goth. There's also a popular mod that morphs Jeff the Land Shark into Pochita from *Chainsaw Man*.

With the release of the Fantastic Four and the start of Season 1 last week, *Marvel Rivals* implemented a new mod restriction through asset hash checking. Developer NetEase reiterated to IGN that the game’s terms and conditions explicitly prohibit mods, as well as cheats, bots, hacks, or any unauthorized third-party software. They had previously cautioned players about the risks of using mods, a warning they reinforced in their latest statement to IGN: "It is not recommended to modify any game files, as doing so carries the risk of getting banned."

However, some players remain undeterred. A workaround, now widely shared online, has been discovered, which, though more complex than before, is still manageable for most PC users. Modder Prafit, who uploaded their workaround to Nexus Mods, warned users: “Use at your own risk,” emphasizing that players are circumventing a system designed to prevent modding since the Season 1 patch. Prafit added, “No-one knows if NetEase will ban you, but they have never issued permabans as far as we know.”

New mods, inspired by the addition of Fantastic Four characters, have already emerged. For instance, Ercuallo's mod transforms Mister Fantastic into Luffy from the *One Piece* manga, and it has been downloaded over 5,000 times in just two days, according to Nexus Mods statistics.

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 questions about whether NetEase will follow through on its threats to ban players. So far, no confirmed cases of bans for mod use have surfaced, but the existence of workarounds might provoke 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 noted that their temporary workaround is best suited for users with high-performance PCs.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the Season 1 patch notes for *Marvel Rivals*, and explore the official statistics revealing pick and win rates in Quickplay and Competitive modes from Season 0. Keep an eye on the latest Marvel Rivals codes for free skins, and participate in our community tier list to vote on the strongest characters in the game.