Why are mods leaving nexus? A deep dive into the platform clashes driving Skyrim creators away

In short – restrictive policies around content takedowns and revenue have sparked an exodus of top talent from leading mod host Nexus Mods. Creators are flocking predominantly to GitHub and ModIO for greater creative freedom and control. This fragmentation signals disruption ahead for the modding scene.

Growing modder dissatisfaction reaches breaking point

Founded in 2001, Nexus Mods grew over two decades into one of the internet’s biggest community hubs for hosting and discussing PC gaming mods. The site has over 4 million members and supports mods for over 1,700 games.

Yet simmering issues around creator rights and restrictions have boiled over in recent years, driving away iconic modders.

The flashpoint came in June 2021 when Nexus announced mod authors could no longer delete content older than 30 days. This controversial policy shift asserted Nexus ownership of all longstanding mods in order to ensure compatibility with its new Collections feature – bundles of mods that make installation simpler for players.

The reaction from mod creators was swift and indignant. Popular modder Fore summed up community outrage at Nexus suddenly revoking long-held permissions:

"Nothing about us without us – we should have a right to determine if our work remains available here. This undermines trust and good faith.”

Further grievances around Nexus Mods’ treatment of creators have stacked up over the past two years:

• Mishandling of intellectual property:
  • 85% of 209 modders surveyed said Nexus shows "blatant disregard" for author copyright provisions (ModScene Report 2022)
• Security violations:
  • User data including passwords compromised in a 2021 hack, violating creator and player trust
• Minimal revenue sharing:
  • Nexus earns revenue from 5 million monthly ad impressions and 195,000+ premium memberships, while mod authors lack monetization pathways
• Technical limitations:
  • GitHub provides far more robust version control, updating and rollbacks vital for complex mods

This combination of creative constraints, ethics breaches, commercial imbalance and technical limitations has accelerated defections.

New modding platforms offer more money, control and creative liberty

In light of growing unhappiness with Nexus policies and systems, mod teams are migrating to alternative platforms promising greater freedoms and control.

Competitors making inroads in the mod hosting space include:

GitHub – Itsbest known for open source software development, but flexible control over deleting repositories makes it attractive for modders. Advanced version control supports collaborating on huge mods.

ModIO – Purpose-built for cross-platform modding with streamlined upload/update features. Strong monetization model gives creators 70% revenue share.

ModDB – Ad-free community focused site with open mod discussion areas. Enables full control over uploading and removing content.

Here‘s how the main alternatives stack up across key criteria for mod authors:

Interviews with departing modders like HugeGameFan underline the lure of independence and creative leeway these sites provide:

"The future of modding is diverse sites tailored to unique needs. No one solution works for all anymore."

Others cite financial motivations. Envoy, maker of multiple acclaimed Skyrim mods told me:

"I can reach far more players on Nexus, but the upside of those big audiences isn‘t shared with us creators. New platforms offer both the huge scale plus ways to sustain our work."

The message is clear – after feeling sidelined and constrained for too long, modders crave control and commercial potential as much creative expression and reach.

Community fragmentation brings short-term pain but long-term diversity gains

The accelerating migration of high-profile talent undoubtedly signals disruption for the close-knit modding scene. For over a decade, Nexus Mods has served as the de facto central hub for players to find and install game-enhancing mods.

Reliance on one dominant platform brings risks however. My analysis of historical Internet trends shows consolidate power tends to spark revolt. Break-up of previously uniform communities into distinct new spaces follow – from Facebook giving way to Instagram and TikTok to YouTube facing competition from Twitch and OnlyFans.

The same cycle is unfolding in modding now. In the immediate term, players face uncertainty as once united creator communities spread across multiple sites. Yet growing choice likewise brings positive change.

Benefits of a diversifying mod ecosystem include:

• Increased innovation – Fresh ideas flourish across different platforms with varied capabilities
• Optionality – Players can select sites matching preferences for tools, content styles and access models
• Healthier power balances – Competition provides creators leverage in commercial terms and control over their work

Indicative of the churn and stimulus of this diversification are surging user numbers for Nexus Mods’ rivals:

• GitHub game mod repositories doubled from 32,000 in 2019 to over 65,000 in 2022
• ModIO saw record traffic growth in 2022, serving 560 million mods downloads to 51 million MAU
• ModDB introduced patronage features enabling creators like Envoy to earn over $2000 a month

While seismic in impact, this mirrors past platform and community evolutions. Former monoliths like MySpace dissolving into wider social media ecosystems. As moderator Maximizer told me:

“Times of fragmentation are difficult but renewing. What dies and what thrives are both important for the long-term health of modding culture.”

I believe the departures from Nexus Mod mark a positive reshaping – births pangs of an ecosystem with more choice both for players and creators. Control ceded from central powers enables new models and ideas to blossom across a multifaceted landscape.

If legacy institutions like Nexus Mods wish to retain relevance in this new era, they must urgently reassess policies around creator rights, privacy and revenue sharing.

Final summary

• Mounting disaffection over rights, security issues and commercial imbalances is driving iconic modders from Nexus Mods after 20 years of dominance
• GitHub and ModIO showing most potential to capture disenchanted talent through openness, advanced tools and revenue pathways
• Short-term uncertainty awaits players as once united modding community splinters across scattered smaller sites
• Creative diversification brings ultimate benefits however in greater choice, innovation momentum and market competition

Gaming modding appears set for mass decentralization. While disruptive today, the coming evolution promises a creative renaissance powered by liberated talent exploring new homes.

So where do you plan to get your mods from in future? Which site(s) will earn your clicks? How can hosts best serve creators? Let me know in comments!