Marvel Rivals' Character Popularity and Mod Controversy: A Data Dive
Official game data reveals interesting character popularity trends in Marvel Rivals. In "quick play," Jeff reigns supreme, outpacing Venom and Cloak & Dagger. However, the competitive landscape shifts dramatically. On PC, Luna Snow, Cloak & Dagger, and Mantis dominate, while console players favor Cloak & Dagger, Penny Parker, and Mantis.
A surprising twist: Mantis, the most popular competitive character, also boasts the highest defeat rate. She leads on both PC and consoles, surpassing Hela, Loki, and Magic. Consoles show a broader success story, with 14 additional characters achieving win rates exceeding 50%.
Conversely, the least popular characters also vary across game modes. Storm, Black Widow, and Wolverine lag in "quick play," while Nemore takes the bottom spot in competitive matches.
The game's recent surge in popularity, with over 500 mods submitted 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 heated debate among players.
Nexus Mods' owner, TheDarkOne, addressed the situation in a private Reddit discussion, explaining the simultaneous removal of both mods to avoid accusations of political bias. This action, however, has curiously been overlooked by YouTube gaming commentators.
