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

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.