Marvel Rivals' Character Popularity and Mod Controversy: A Data Dive
Official game data reveals fascinating character popularity trends in Marvel Rivals. In "quick play," Jeff reigns supreme, outperforming Venom and Cloak & Dagger. However, the competitive landscape shifts dramatically. On PC, Luna Snow, Cloak & Dagger, and Mantis lead the pack, while on consoles, Cloak & Dagger, Penny Parker, and Mantis dominate.
A surprising twist emerges: Mantis, despite her popularity, is also the most frequently defeated hero in competitive mode, leading the loss count on both PC and consoles, surpassing Hela, Loki, and Magic. Consoles show a broader success story, with 14 additional characters boasting win rates exceeding 50%.
Conversely, unpopular characters also stand out. Storm, Black Widow, and Wolverine struggle in "quick play," while Nemore occupies the bottom rung in competitive modes.
The game's recent surge in popularity, with over 500 mods uploaded in a single month, has unfortunately sparked controversy. Nexus Mods' removal of modifications replacing Captain America's head with images of Donald Trump and Joe Biden ignited a firestorm of user 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 action, however, has curiously been met with silence from YouTube gaming commentators.
