Marvel Rivals' Character Popularity and Mod Controversy: A Data Dive
Official website data reveals interesting player preferences in Marvel Rivals. In "quick play," Jeff reigned supreme, outpacing Venom and Cloak & Dagger. However, competitive play showed different trends. On PC, Luna Snow, Cloak & Dagger, and Mantis dominated, while on consoles, Cloak & Dagger, Penny Parker, and Mantis led the pack.
A surprising twist: Mantis, despite her popularity, was also the most frequently defeated hero in competitive mode, leading the loss count on both PC and consoles, surpassing Hela, Loki, and Magic. Consoles saw a broader success rate, with 14 additional characters boasting win rates exceeding 50%.
Conversely, "quick play" saw Storm, Black Widow, and Wolverine lagging in popularity, while Nemore held that unfortunate distinction in competitive modes.
The game's recent surge in popularity, with over 500 mods submitted in a single month, has unfortunately been overshadowed by controversy. Nexus Mods' removal of modifications replacing Captain America's head with images of Donald Trump and Joe Biden sparked significant player reaction.
Nexus Mods owner, TheDarkOne, addressed the situation in a private Reddit discussion, explaining that both Trump and Biden-related mods were removed simultaneously to avoid accusations of political bias. This proactive measure, intended to maintain neutrality, has, however, curiously been largely ignored by YouTube gaming commentators.
