Nexus Mods Owner Steps Down After 24 Years to Focus on Mental Health

PC gaming mod hub Nexus Mods is nether caller ownership for the archetypal clip successful 24 years arsenic creator Robin “Dark0ne” Scott hands disconnected the baton for the involvement of his intelligence health.

The figurehead of 1 of the biggest gaming sites connected the net posted astir its adjacent section successful a connection published today. It comes with confirmation that Scott has already officially stepped distant from Nexus Mods, “following months of meetings, face-to-face talks, and a full batch of psyche searching.”

The connection keeps galore of the behind-the-scenes details nether wraps but says 2 caller individuals — 1 named Victor (a.k.a. Foledinho) and different named Marinus (a.k.a. Rapsak) — person adopted the enactment role, with some of their profiles present bearing the “Site Owner” title. The enactment alteration signals the opening of a caller epoch for Nexus Mods, and for Scott, a much-needed break.

“The strain of being liable for the behemoth I created has taken its toll,” Scott explained. “The accent of the occupation has been a regular root of anxiousness and stress-related wellness issues. I realised that I person been burning retired and this started to person an interaction connected my unit and Nexus Mods arsenic a whole. So, I firmly judge that the champion happening for the aboriginal of Nexus Mods is for maine to measurement speech and bring successful caller enactment to steer the concern guardant with renewed vigor to marque Nexus Mods the modding assemblage we each genuinely deserve.”

The tiny task calved successful Scott’s chamber for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind yet ballooned into a monolithic entity successful the gaming space. The Nexus Mods About Us leafage notes that this beating bosom of the PC gaming assemblage is made up of 63.4 cardinal users and 16.8 cardinal record downloads, positioning it arsenic 1 of the astir highly trafficked UK-based websites connected the planet.

As Nexus Mods has grown, truthful excessively has its interaction connected Scott, who has spent “every azygous day” for much than 20 years “on call.” Losing his nonstop input successful the day-to-day operations of Nexus Mods volition surely effect successful immoderate changes, but Scott assured modders and gamers alike that the displacement should not beryllium origin for concern.

“Behind the scenes, I’ve already been stepping backmost spot by bit,” Scott clarifies. “Over the past fewer years, the squad has taken connected much of the value and the site’s been doing amended than ever. What’s changing present is simply the formality of it, making definite the close radical are successful spot to usher Nexus Mods into the adjacent era.”

Scott says his stepping down from Nexus Mods, arsenic good arsenic a fewer tiny structural changes, are moves made to guarantee “long-term stability” and won’t interaction however the tract has been operating recently. He goes arsenic acold arsenic to say, “Nexus Mods is community-first and mod-author focused, that’s not up for negotiation.”

As Scott steps distant from his nonstop enactment position, the modding creator says he’ll inactive prosecute with the Nexus Mods assemblage connected its Mod Author Discord, forums, and more. He’ll besides assistance usher the site’s 40-person squad arsenic the leafage is turned, relieving his duties arsenic its look and figurehead.

“So yes, the ownership of Nexus Mods has changed hands, but I privation to beryllium clear, this isn’t immoderate firm ‘exit’ oregon a backroom deal,” Scott adds. “This is maine doing thing I astir apt should’ve done years ago: taking attraction of myself. Reclaiming immoderate headspace. And yet letting spell of the thought that I person to bash everything and beryllium liable for everything myself.”

Nexus Mods has housed thousands of fan-made creations for games similar franchises similar The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Stardew Valley, Baldur’s Gate, Cyberpunk 2077, and many, galore much for decades. In fact, conscionable moments aft The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion shadow-dropped earlier this year, dozens of insignificant mods had already been published connected the site. It’s the go-to spot for PC gamers to modify their games to their liking, and with its archetypal alteration successful enactment successful 24 years comes a just magnitude of uncertainty for its future.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance contributor with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).