Marvel Rivals' Character Popularity and Mod Controversy: A Data Dive
Official game data reveals intriguing character popularity trends in Marvel Rivals. In "quick play," Jeff reigns supreme, outpacing Venom and Cloak & Dagger. However, competitive play paints a different picture. On PC, Luna Snow, Cloak & Dagger, and Mantis dominate, while console players favor Cloak & Dagger, Penny Parker, and Mantis.
A surprising twist: Mantis, while the most popular competitive character (across both PC and consoles), also boasts the highest defeat rate. She surpasses Hela, Loki, and Magic in this unusual distinction. Consoles show a broader spread of success, with 14 additional characters exhibiting win rates exceeding 50%.
Conversely, the least popular characters are Storm, Black Widow, and Wolverine in "quick play," with Nemore taking their place in competitive modes.
The game's recent surge in popularity, marked by over 500 mod submissions in a single month, has unfortunately sparked controversy. Nexus Mods' removal of modifications replacing Captain America's head with Donald Trump and Joe Biden likenesses ignited a heated debate among players.
Nexus Mods owner, TheDarkOne, addressed the situation in a private Reddit discussion, clarifying that both Trump and Biden-related mods were removed simultaneously to avoid accusations of political bias. This simultaneous removal aimed for neutrality, eliminating both to prevent any perception of favoritism.
Curiously, this significant event appears to have been largely ignored by YouTube gaming commentators.
