The collective hate of the internet appears to have poured over Bethesda Game Studios, not quite unlike the Fus, Ro, Da of the Dragonborn, following the release of the latest update to the already controversial nth re-release of its award-winning game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
While most of the criticism are aimed towards Starfield these days, the former issues of Skyrim Special Edition have now resurfaced after Bethesda reintroduced a paid mod platform into the game but also inadvertently disrupted the functioning of numerous existing mods.
To understand this frustration, it’s essential to look at the history of modding in Skyrim. In 2015, Bethesda, with the help of Valve, attempted to introduce a system for selling mods on Steam for Skyrim. This move faced immediate backlash from players and mod creators, leading to its quick withdrawal. Then, in 2017, Bethesda launched the Creation Club for Fallout 4 and Skyrim Special Edition, an invite-only platform for modders with stringent guidelines. Despite these controls, it marked another step toward commercializing mods.
The latest update, however, has taken a significant leap in this direction. It replaced the Creation Club with a new store page, Creations, effectively amalgamating free and paid DLC. This change has lowered the barriers for modders to sell their creations, with the introduction of the Bethesda Game Studios Verified Creator Program.
While this program allows modders to earn royalties, it has sparked concerns about the potential commercialization and fragmentation of the modding community.
One of the critical aspects of this update that has particularly irked the community is its impact on the existing mods. It has reportedly caused problems for the Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE), a vital tool other mods rely on. This has led to a cascading effect, rendering numerous mods dysfunctional and, as a result, impacting the gameplay experience of countless players.
Moreover, the update’s timing has also been questioned. Skyrim, being a decade-old game, has a well-established and solid modding community that thrives on creativity and free sharing. The introduction of a monetized platform disrupts this ecosystem, potentially leading to a divide between free and paid content and complicating mod compatibility and collaboration. It could even pave the way for a similar paid mod system to come to Starfield, eventually.
Naturally, the modding community and Skyrim’s fanbase had something to say, both good and bad. Some express their disappointment and others acknowledging the potential benefits of monetization for mod creators. However, the main concern revolves around the impact on the collaborative spirit of modding and the technical issues that arise from such significant updates to a stable game environment.
The situation with Skyrim serves as a microcosm of a larger debate regarding the monetization of mods. On one hand, monetization offers mod creators potential financial rewards for their work, but on the other, it threatens to disrupt the communal and collaborative nature of modding that has been a cornerstone of the gaming community for years.
Bethesda’s approach to modding in Skyrim, particularly with this latest update, reflects a shift in strategy that’s going to have significant implications for the future of modding, not only in Skyrim but potentially in other games as well.
With mod support coming to Starfield eventually, everyone will be keeping a close eye on Bethesda manages the mod monetization system in Skyrim and its other games.
In the meantime, some good news. Bethesda’s Todd Howard is a showrunner for the upcoming live-action adaptation of Fallout on Prime Video, which recently got its first trailer.
