If you’re a PC gamer, it’s impossible that you haven’t heard of Nexus Mods, the most important modding site in the world, with an archive that now includes hundreds of thousands of mods for a variety of games.
The long-term survival of titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is partly due to the existence of an archive like Nexus Mods, which allows users to upload and download new content.
Dark0ne, the owner and founder of Nexus Mods, has become tired of the pressures that come with managing the site and has decided to sell it. In fact, it has already been sold.
Too Much Stress
Nexus Mods was founded in 2001 in Scott’s bedroom, eventually growing into a massive industry leader due to the high demand for mods from gamers. Over the years, controversies have been frequent, including political issues, such as the decision to ban mods that discriminate against minorities or attack diversity, such as those that remove LGBTQ+ content from games or are politically propagandist.
At the moment, Scott has not revealed the new owners of Nexus Mods, but he emphasized that the decision was made with great care. According to him, the buyers are focused on the long-term sustainability of the project and are familiar with the modding community. Scott promises that the new owners will preserve a community-oriented site that is attentive to mod creators.
A New Chapter for Nexus Mods
Scott explained that he had pondered this decision for a long time, only making it when he found the right partners. He also shared that he had faced increasing pressure while leading Nexus Mods, far more than he had expected at the start.
“Every single day, for over two decades, I’ve been “on call”, whether it was fixing issues, reading feedback, pushing updates, or getting pulled into the latest bit of community drama. It’s been rewarding, sometimes chaotic, often exhausting and always personal. Somewhere along the way, I forgot to step back and breathe, or sleep properly. The dilemma of running a major social network that does not rest!”
“The strain of being responsible for the behemoth I created has taken its toll. The stress of the job has been a regular source of anxiety and stress-related health issues. I realised that I have been burning out and this started to have an impact on my staff and Nexus Mods as a whole. So, I firmly believe that the best thing for the future of Nexus Mods is for me to step aside and bring in new leadership to steer the business forward with renewed energy to make Nexus Mods the modding community we all truly deserve.”
Due to these exhausting commitments, Scott explains that he has already gradually distanced himself from the daily management of the site in recent years. Although he remains the public face of Nexus Mods, the site is the work of around 40 people, some of whom have been with the company for nearly ten years. According to Scott, his partial step back has contributed to making Nexus Mods more successful than ever.
Scott reassured that he will not disappear after the sale: he will still be present in the Nexus Modders’ Discord server and will continue to provide advice on the overall direction of the site, but he will no longer have the final say on all decisions. “Frankly, that’s a good thing, for me, for the team, and for the future of Nexus Mods,” Scott concluded.
