Starfield’s pronoun-removing mod gets booted from Nexus Mods

Nexus Mods, a popular mod platform, recently made a decision to remove a mod for the game Starfield that eliminated the game’s pronoun options in its character creator. Despite receiving backlash from a small portion of Starfield fans, Nexus Mods has stood firm on its decision and stated that they are not sorry to see those mods go. Nexus Mods emphasized that the negative reactions came from a vocal minority within the mod community and that the removal of diversity and inclusivity does not promote a positive modding community.

The removal of this particular mod was the result of a toxic discourse surrounding Bethesda’s new space opera RPG in the week following its release. A YouTuber’s viral rant about the pronoun options in the game’s character creation screen sparked discussions about the game being “woke” or “political” on the Steam Discussion forums. While these initial conversations have died down, the removal of the mod seems to have reignited the discussion, with negative reviews being posted on Starfield’s Steam page criticizing the character creator and citing “Politics (If You Know You Know)”.

Nexus Mods’ decision to remove the mod aligns with their past actions. In 2022, the mod platform banned an account that had created a mod for Marvel’s Spider-Man, which removed Pride flags from the game’s city. Nexus Mods explained their stance at the time, stating that they are for inclusivity and diversity.

Removing mods that go against the principles of diversity and inclusion is not a new stance for Nexus Mods. They have consistently taken a stand to create a positive modding community that welcomes people of all backgrounds. Despite facing criticism from a minority, Nexus Mods remains steadfast in their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the modding community.