Modding has always been a gray area in Marvel Rivals, as NetEase has warned players against changing game files since Season 1. In the meantime, thousands of cosmetic mods kept circulating online. Earlier this week, a wave of suspensions hit players running Marvel Rivals mods. Two days later, the game developer reserved this action.

In a statement on X, the Marvel Rivals team confirmed it had lifted the suspensions handed out over the previous two days. However, NetEase stressed that the reversal doesn’t mean those Marvel Rivals mods are allowed, and it named two files that players should delete right away.

Why did NetEase ban and then unban Marvel Rivals mods?

According to NetEase, some Marvel Rivals mods rely on memory injection and modification, which use the same or similar techniques as cheat engines. Due to this, they instantly trigger the anti-cheat system. The statement also lists four types of changes that NetEase considers unfair, while noting that the list isn’t complete:

• Model or texture edits that give one player a line-of-sight advantage
• Removing recoil, screen shake, bullet effects or impact visuals
• Footstep and sound changes that make enemies easier to locate
• Enlarged enemy models that are easier to spot and hit

The two files NetEase singled out are pystubber.asi and MarvelRivalsUnmountBlocker.asi, as both directly trigger the anti-cheat’s detection of unauthorized client changes. Anyone using Marvel Rivals mods should close related programs, then delete the mod files along with every change they made to the game.

Many players agree that the rollout of action was wrong, as modders were suspended first and only learned which files caused it afterward. On the other hand, NetEase said it wants to leave room for customization that doesn’t hurt fairness, but it hasn’t explained which cosmetic Marvel Rivals mods are safe.

It’s important to note that NetEase will keep penalizing anyone who continues using these Marvel Rivals mods. However, the suspensions were only lifted for this specific wave, so we don’t expect a second pass for players who ignore the warning. If your account was banned and you believe it was a mistake, you can still appeal through official Customer Support.

In the meantime, you can read about how NetEase permanently banned hundreds of Marvel Rivals cheaters earlier this year. Furthermore, sharing Marvel Rivals mods has caused trouble before, as players once received Discord bans for posting mod links.