Nexus Mods

Nexus Mods was founded by Robin Scott and a friend in August 2001 as a fan site for the Bethesda Softworks game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind under the name "Morrowind Chronicles". After the success of Morrowind Chronicles, Scott and the friend he was working alongside founded a company by the name of GamingSource and created the website TESSource, which allowed users to upload their modifications and content for games in The Elder Scrolls video game series. Scott soon became tired with the revenue of the websites being split when he was operating the websites by himself, and made the decision to break away from TESSource in 2007 and founded his own website under the name of TESNexus. Scott made use of the TESSource website with his new venture. This resulted in more than 200 additional games being supported by early 2017.{{cite web |title=Nexus Mods Forums |url=http://forums.nexusmods.com |accessdate=February 3, 2013 |publisher=Black Tree Gaming Ltd.}}{{failed verification|date=February 2017}}

Scott indicated in 2013 that the Nexus sites would remain free of corporate investment in the foreseeable future, also avoiding direct ads. Revenue instead came from premium memberships, with the site otherwise free.{{cite web|last=Hamilton|first=Kirk|title=Nexus Mods Owner Says 'F That' To Bringing On Investors|url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/02/nexus-mods-owner-says-f-that-to-bringing-on-investors/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205031822/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/02/nexus-mods-owner-says-f-that-to-bringing-on-investors/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 5, 2013|website=Kotaku|date=February 3, 2013|accessdate=February 5, 2013}} In December 2015, the website reported a possible security breach of account names,{{citation

| last =Morrison

| first = Angus

| date =December 8, 2015

| title =Nexus Mods gets the all-clear—but change your password anyway

| publisher =PCGamer

| url =http://www.pcgamer.com/nexus-mods-gets-the-all-clearbut-change-your-password-anyway/

| accessdate =

}} and recommended that its members change their passwords. Financial information was not breached, as the website uses PayPal for all transactions.{{Citation

| last =Morrison

| first = Angus

| date =December 7, 2015

| title =Nexus Mods user database may have been breached

| publisher =PCGamer

| url =http://www.pcgamer.com/nexus-mods-user-database-may-have-been-breached/

| accessdate =

}}

In 2016, following an extensive survey of existing users, the website received its biggest redesign to date.{{cite web |title=BlindJudge Shares a Sneak Peek at the Nexus Mods Redesign |date=August 9, 2016 |url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/12850 |publisher=Blindjudge |accessdate=April 26, 2021}} The redesign saw the introduction of a responsive viewport allowing seamless browsing on a mobile device, an intuitive navigation bar and the ability to pin games to the user's profile. As of April 2021, Nexus Mods has a reported 26 million members.{{cite web|title=Site statistics|url=https://www.nexusmods.com/about/stats#display=downloads,registrations&min=1104537600000&max=1619429852237&bh=ignore/|publisher=NexusMods|accessdate=April 26, 2021}} As of 2021, Nexus Mods is the largest gaming modification site on the internet, ranking at #1090 in the Alexa Rankings,{{cite web|title=Nexus Mods Alexa Rank|url=https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/nexusmods.com|publisher=Alexa|accessdate=April 26, 2021|archive-date=April 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426095915/https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/nexusmods.com|url-status=dead}} with over 4.5 billion downloads since its initial launch.{{cite web |title=Site statistics |url=http://nexusmods.com/about/stats/ |accessdate=April 26, 2021 |publisher=NexusMods}}

In June 2021, in a series of announcements in Nexus's developer forums followed by a lengthy public announcement on July 1,{{Cite web |url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/14538 |title=An important notice and our future plans for collections |date=July 2021}} Nexus Mods stated that they would no longer be deleting mods at mod authors' request, but instead retaining archival copies for use in a new Collections feature. The initial announcements sparked complaints by numerous mod authors, causing Nexus to allow a one-month grace period for mod authors to either accede to the policy change or pull all of their mods from the site.{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/major-modding-site-pisses-off-tons-of-users-sparking-r-1847221380|title=Major Modding Site Pisses off Tons of Users, Sparking Revolt|date=July 2, 2021 }} The response by mod-authors was mixed, with some announcing that they would be pulling or ceasing support for their mods, while others supported the move.

In August 2022, an alleged sockpuppet troll account who went by the alias "Mike Hawk" uploaded a texture modification for the Windows release of Marvel's Spider-Man called "Non-Newtonian New York" replacing the rainbow flag with the flag of the United States,{{Cite news |title='Spider-Man' modification scene turns into Pride flag battlefield |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/08/19/spider-man-remastered-pride-flag-mod-nexus/ |access-date=2022-08-27 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |author1=Dustin Bailey |date=2022-08-17 |title=Mod site deletes anti-Pride mod for Spider-Man, encourages angry users to delete their accounts |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/mod-site-deletes-anti-pride-mod-for-spider-man-encourages-angry-users-to-delete-their-accounts/ |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=gamesradar |language=en}} with the description "changes the stupid pride flags with american flags"{{sic}} in an apparent effort to sow controversy. The modification was removed by Nexus Mods moderators shortly after, but not without garnering controversy from some users who were displeased with the ban; the site later went on to state that "we are for inclusivity, we are for diversity. If we think someone is uploading a mod on our site with the intent to deliberately be against inclusivity and/or diversity then we will take action against it", also frankly advising users who disagreed with the ban to "move on". A similar announcement was also made by ModDB when a Twitter user informed the site that the flag modification was also mirrored on ModDB, which the site's moderators promptly removed.{{Cite web |last=Quintos |first=Nichole |date=2022-08-19 |title=Spider-Man Remastered: Anti-LGBTQ controversy explained |url=https://www.spieltimes.com/news/spider-man-remastered-anti-lgbtq-controversy-explained/ |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=Spiel Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=DINSDALE |first=RYAN |date=18 August 2022 |title=Modding Websites Take Stance Against Anti LGBTQ+ Content |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/modding-websites-ban-anti-lgbtq-content-pride-flag-removal |access-date=13 August 2024 |website=IGN}}{{Cite web |date=18 August 2022 |title=Modding Websites Take Stance Against Anti LGBTQ+ Content- IGN Daily Fix |url=https://www.ign.com/videos/modding-websites-take-stance-against-anti-lgbtq-content-ign-daily-fix |website=IGN}}

On April 23, 2025, a mod was released for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered that changes the game's labeling of body types from "body type 1" and "body type 2" to "male" and "female", like how it was in the original game. The mod did not alter anything else in the game. Nexus Mods moderators removed the mod soon after its release and banned the creator, citing "posting an intentionally antagonistic mod with intention to evade the rules" as the reason for the ban. The mod was later restored with a community notice, stating that the mod was not taken down for its content and that the uploader "expressed an intent to incite drama and endorsed an external site explicitly designed to host inflammatory content."{{Cite web |last=Valens |first=Ana |date=2025-04-23 |title=Is 'Oblivion Remastered' Too Woke? Right-Wing Gamers Are Trying to Mod Out This Feature |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/is-oblivion-remastered-too-woke-right-wing-gamers-are-trying-to-mod-out-this-feature/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=VICE |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |author1=Andy Chalk |date=2025-04-25 |title=Nexus Mods decides to allow an Oblivion Remastered mod that changes 'body type' options to male/female, declares it's not 'a battleground for broader cultural or political debates' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/nexus-mods-decides-to-allow-an-oblivion-remastered-mod-that-changes-body-type-options-to-male-female-declares-its-not-a-battleground-for-broader-cultural-or-political-debates/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}

Scott announced he had sold Nexus Mods to a yet-named buyer on June 16, 2025, as to step back from the stress of managing the site. Scott did not name the new owner but said he had selected them with great care for continuing the site. While he will continue to support the site, he planned to give the administrative duties to two long-time moderators of the site.{{cite web | url=https://www.polygon.com/news/607104/nexusmods-sold-darkone-robin-scott-pc-gaming-mod | title=Nexus Mods is being sold after 24 years by burned-out owner | website=Polygon }} The owner was later revealed to be Chosen, a growth-focused gaming company. In light of previous statements by Victor Folmann, a co-founder of Chosen, who previously has advocated for in-app purchases, NFTs, and cryptocurrencies, he reassured that they are not introducing aggressive monetization or paid mods to the site.{{cite web |last1=Warren |first1=Mark |title=Nexus Mods' new owner is a company whose co-founder has already had to reassure folks that NFTs and crypto aren't incoming |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/nexus-mods-new-owner-is-a-company-whose-co-founder-has-already-had-to-reassure-folks-that-nfts-and-crypto-arent-incoming |website=Rock Paper Shotgun |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=17 June 2025 |date=17 June 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Makar |first1=Connor |title=End of an era: Nexus Mods has change in ownership after 24 years following "stress-related health issues" |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/end-of-an-era-nexus-mods-has-been-sold-to-an-unknown-party-after-24-years |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=17 June 2025 |date=17 June 2025}}

Mods hosted on the site can change games in a number of ways, from adding a first-person perspective{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2015/1/12/7531313/metal-gear-solid-5-ground-zeroes-first-person|title=Play Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes in first-person mode with this PC mod|author=Megan Farokhmanesh|work=Polygon|date=January 12, 2015}} to adding fully developed worldspaces with voice-acted quests.{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/behind-falskaar-a-massive-new-skyrim-mod-and-the-19-year-old-who-spent-a-year-building-it/|title=Behind Falskaar, a massive new Skyrim mod, and the 19-year-old who spent a year building it|work=PC Gamer|date=July 16, 2013|last1=Birnbaum|first1=Ian}} Mods for The Witcher have been built for improving immersion,

{{Citation

| last =Chalk

| first = Andy

| date =July 22, 2016

| title =The Witcher 3 first-person mod gives gamers a Geralt's-eye view of the world

| publisher =PC Gamer

| url =http://www.pcgamer.com/the-witcher-3-first-person-mod-gives-gamers-a-geralts-eye-view-of-the-world/

| accessdate =January 3, 2017

}} and Nexus Mods is highly noted for its support of the game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and is often regarded as the largest website supporting modifications for games in The Elder Scrolls series of games, with sites like PC Gamer and Kotaku referencing Nexus in multiple articles regarding modifications for The Elder Scrolls series.{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/the-25-best-skyrim-mods-2|title=The 50 best Skyrim mods|work=PC Gamer|date=January 12, 2022|last1=Livingston|first1=Christopher}}{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5903204/how-to-get-skyrim-looking-as-awesome-as-computationally-possible|title=How To Get Skyrim Looking As Awesome As Computationally Possible|author=Kirk Hamilton|publisher=Gawker Media|work=Kotaku|date=April 19, 2012 }}

The website's hosting and publication of various mods has been covered in the gaming and computer press. In 2016, Forbes praised the "Alternate Start - Live Another Life" mod posted to Nexus for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition in a feature article.{{Citation

| last =Kain

| first =Erik

| date =October 31, 2016

| title =One 'Skyrim Special Edition' Mod You Need If You've Already Played 'Skyrim'

| work =Forbes

| url =https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2016/10/31/one-skyrim-special-edition-mod-you-need-if-youve-already-played-skyrim/#7ae19458404d

| accessdate =January 3, 2017

}} In January 2017, a Fallout 4 mod on Nexus Mods was covered in the Daily Express,

{{Citation

| last =Martin

| first =Liam

| date =January 27, 2017

| title =Fallout 4 mods UPDATE: Epic battle comes to Xbox One but it's bad news for PS4 owners

| publisher =Daily Express

| url =http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/gaming/759365/Fallout-4-mods-update-nexus-DLC-Iron-Giant

| accessdate =January 3, 2017

}} with other Fallout 4 mods reported on by WWG,{{Citation

| last =Hayes

| first =Matthew

| date =January 11, 2017

| title =Fallout 4 Mod Turns the Game Into a Classic 90s Shooter

| publisher =WWG

| url =http://wwg.com/2017/01/11/fallout-4-mod-turns-the-game-into-a-classic-90s-shooter/

| accessdate =January 3, 2017

}} Paste Magazine,

{{Citation

| last =McKenney

| first =Kyle

| date = June 21, 2016

| title =Fallout 4 Console Mods Are Frustrating the Modding Community

| publisher =Paste Magazine

| url =https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/06/fallout-4-mods-pc-vs-console.html

| accessdate =January 3, 2017

}} the Christian Times,

{{Citation

| last =Villegas

| first =Jackie

| date =October 27, 2016

| title ='Fallout 4' mods update: Nexus mods improve gameplay; Bethesda clarifies restrictions on PS4 mods

| publisher =Christian Times

| url =http://christiantimes.com/article/fallout-4-mods-update-nexus-mods-improve-gameplay-bethesda-clarifies-restrictions-on-ps4-mods/65170.htm

| accessdate =January 3, 2017

}} and PC Gamer.

{{Citation

| last =Livingston

| first =Christopher

| date =January 2017

| title =This mod lets you play a badass '90s-style corridor shooter inside Fallout 4

| publisher =PC Gamer

| url =http://www.pcgamer.com/this-mod-lets-you-play-a-badass-90s-style-corridor-shooter-inside-fallout-4/

| accessdate =January 3, 2017

}}

{{Citation

| last =Livingston

| first =Christopher

| date =January 2017

| title =Watch me die a lot in Frost, a mod that turns Fallout 4 into a true survival game

| publisher =PC Gamer

| url =http://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-4-frost-survival-mod/

| accessdate =January 3, 2017

}}

Nexus Mods requires users to register before uploading any files or downloading files over a certain size. User accounts integrate across all of the available sites, meaning a user only needs one account to make use of all of the Nexus websites. Each account and file page is also integrated with the Nexus Forums.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} The website gives users the ability to:{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

• Upload files to their modification's webpage
• Create and display an information page about their modification
• Upload images of their modification
• Comment on file pages
• Browse categories to find modifications for their games
• Search for a specific modification for their games

In June 2016, wide-ranging theft of Nexus Mods mods for other corporate mod websites was noted in the press, with Nexus owner Robin Scott (Dark0ne) criticizing Bethesda's lack of response to the issue.{{Citation

| last =Domirez

| first =Darren

| date = June 20, 2016

| title ='Skyrim', 'Fallout 4' Mods Hold Nexus Mod Owner Security Amid Apathetic Bethesda; Fallout 4 Mods Now Requires Steam-Linked Accounts

| publisher = University Herald

| url =http://www.universityherald.com/articles/32165/20160620/skyrim-fallout-4-mods-hold-nexus-mod-owner-security-amid-apathetic-bethesda-fallout-4-mods-now-requires-steam-linked-accounts.htm

| accessdate =

}} That month, Nexus added an extra permissions system to the website so stolen mods on other websites were easier to see. Although there was already an extensive permissions system for mods, the addition to the system for console modding allowed users to select what their intent for the mod was in terms of use, and where they would allow it to be available. It also allowed "console players to search the Nexus system for mods they can find via their console's Bethesda.net browser if they like the look of them."

{{Citation

| last =Higgins

| first =Chris

| date =June 18, 2016

| title =Nexus Mods owner takes Bethesda.net mod theft into own hands

| publisher =PCGamesN

| url =https://www.pcgamesn.com/fallout-4/fallout-4-skyrim-nexus-mods-bethesdanet-stolen

| accessdate =January 3, 2017

}}

The Nexus Mods network supported 3204 games as of November 2024, and features a single forum and a wiki for site and mod-related topics. The main Nexus Mods web page lists the various games for which mods are available, along with the number of files, authors and downloads. Games with the most mods hosted were:

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

• Blade and Sorcery
• Baldur's Gate 3
• Elden Ring
• Fallout 3
• Fallout 4
• Fallout: New Vegas
• Mass Effect 3
• Monster Hunter: World
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Stardew Valley
• Star Wars Battlefront II (2017 video game)
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

}}

Nexus Mod Manager (NMM) is an open-source program associated with Nexus Mods.{{cite web|title=Nexus Mod Manager|url=https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/Nexus-Mod-Manager|publisher=NMM on Github|accessdate=November 16, 2021}} Available only for Microsoft Windows, it automates the download and installation of mods for 30+ games as of May 2022, among them The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 3.{{cite web|title=NMM|url=https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/305|publisher=NMM on NexusMods.com|accessdate=November 16, 2021}} Advantages of using NMM over manual mod installation include easy organization, installation, and uninstallation of mods. According to the Nexus site, NMM "integrates with the Nexus sites to provide you with a fast, efficient, and much less hassled modding experience."[https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/305 NMM page]{{Failed verification|date=September 2022}}

• Mod DB
• List of video game websites
• Steam Workshop

{{reflist}}

{{Wikiquote}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/305 NMM Community Edition]
• [https://www.nexusmods.com/about/vortex/ Vortex]

Category:Internet properties established in 2001

Category:Internet properties established in 2007

Category:Video game modding

Category:Video game websites

Category:User-generated content