Marvel Rivals update kills mods, removing cheats, skins, and 19-inches of Venom

UPDATE 13/01/25: Aaaaaaaand, they're back!

No sooner did NetEase patch away the ability to add mods, modders began working on a workaround. Admittedly, this time it's more involved than simply downloading and installing a mod, but it is still possible… if a little dicey.

A mod has popped up on Nexus Mod absolutely plastered with warnings, offering a "temporary fix" to get mods working again. Advising that players use it at their own risk - potential NetEase ban aside, there's a considerable chance it'll kill your SSD - modder Prafit has found another way to circumvent the system.

"It turns out NetEase put in code to check the hashes of pak files and only allow the game to load pak files," the modder explains. "However, it turns out you don't have to use pak files. You can just extract the pak files like a zip and run them unpaked.

"The problem is, the game is loading 50,000 files versus 1 so this can be quite problematic even on the fastest SSDs. Using a solution like this could even make your SSD die faster."

ORIGINAL STORY 12/01/25: Yesterday's Marvel Rivals update has seemingly wiped the ability to use mods on PC.

Marvel Rivals has been in Season 0 since its release last month, and yesterday the online hero shooter's first season launched, bringing significant balance changes and the heroic Fantastic Four team: Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing.

Since the update rolled out, however, players are reporting that asset hash checking has stripped the ability to use mods, such as custom skins or FPS boosts.

Season 1: Eternal Night Falls Official Trailer | Marvel Rivals

Asset hash checking compares what you're running on your PC to what the servers believes your code should be running, and if it finds any differences - mods, in other words - the account could be banned.

Whilst some lament the loss - including a lot of talk about Venom's "19-inch stalk" - others are more ambivalent about the changes, pointing out that Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play game that relies on battle pass and skin sales to generate profit.

Others noted that this decision could also help ameliorate cheats and hacks.

Let's not pretend this is a bad thing. Cosmetics are literally their only form of profit to keep this FREE game running
byu/Jtneagle inmarvelrivals

Marvel Rivals has proven incredibly popular since its launch. Its opening weekend saw 10 million players join online to take part in the fray.

"NetEase's spin on the hero battler is complex and moreish, but rarely much actual fun," our Chris wrote in Eurogamer's Marvel Rivals review. "Its biggest impact is a renewed appreciation for the rivals that do it better." He awarded it two out of five stars.