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Marvel Rivals has become a breakout hit, mixing the epic characters and lore of the Marvel Universe to team-based shooter games. Like so many “free-to-play” games, Marvel Rivals always has a fun new character, skin, bundle, or event for players to invest in, and the 4th of July holiday (on America’s 250th birthday) brought one of the more surprising offers we’ve ever seen.
This past week, Marvel Rivals released a wild new Captain America costume that had the internet freaking out. The hilariously revealing “Summer Sentinel” skin featured Cap wearing a wrestler’s singlet with a low-plunge neckline. However, only 24 hours after fans rushed to the Rivals store to purchase the game skin, NetEase Games has stealth-nerfed the one detail that kicked off the viral moment in the first place.
Marvel Rivals Nerfs Captain America’s Greatest Weapon
When Marvel Rivals released the new Captain America “Summer Sentinel” skin for the 4th of July, gamers instantly zeroed in on the fact that America’s Super Soldier was packing quite the ‘Statue of Liberty’ in his spandex. It sparked exactly the type of mature and nuanced response you’d expect from the internet, with gamers flooding social media with memes, jokes, and even some in-depth “analysis” of how NetEase Games’ programmers took the time to code some… ‘real world physics’ into the Cap’s body movements in the outfit.
The running gag was that it was all a symbolic salute to America’s power and vigor after 250 years – so what does it say now that it’s been taken down a peg?
Check out this fan-made side-by-side, which makes it abundantly clear that Marvel Rivals has quietly gone in and uploaded a new version of Captain America’s Summer Sentinel skin, with the very conspicuous change of shortening the length and overall… radius of Cap’s groin area.
Marvel Rivals Fans Point Out Skin Change Double Standard
Fans are handling the change with the exact kind of nuance and grace that you would expect from the internet and social media. Some are joking about what the reduction symbolizes about American prosperity (or lack thereof); others are expressing (real?) anger over having their purchase changed after the fact. Apparently, Cap’s package had been a major selling point, and now those consumers are feeling cheated. The rabbit hole only gets darker and deeper from there – and so much funnier, along the descent.
On a more serious note, this Captain America outfit change has reignited the debate about how Marvel Rivals is approaching its skins and whether it is addressing (or not) fan issues with them. As some players are fairly pointing out, there seems to be a gender double-standard at work: Marvel Rivals has long faced complaints about female character designs and skins being oversexualized (compared to the comics), and there is a long list of receipts showing how player complaints about these issues have been waved off or given specious explanations, but have never set any new policy bar at NetEase Games. Yet within 24 hours, Captain America’s lil’ Super Soldier had to be de-powered.
Try to enjoy your 4th of July holiday anyway, America. And Happy Birthday (I guess). Don’t worry, Cap! Just tell them you just got out of the pool, and no one will be the wiser! 🫡
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