Skyrim Now Lets Modders Make Money, But Not If They Use AI

Highlights

• Skyrim’s new Creations platform allows modders to earn money, but content cannot use generative AI, which caused controversy among the gaming community.
• The load order can now be saved on Bethesda.net, potentially increasing storage capacity for mods in the future, affecting console players the most.
• Creations must be made from scratch, standalone, and cannot rely on existing free or paid community releases, as outlined on the new Creations page at Bethesda.net.

Skyrim received a new update that combined the Creation Club and Mods into Creations, and modders verified and approved by Bethesda will be able to earn money by uploading their mods on the platform – but only if their content doesn’t use generative AI. Bethesda caused quite a commotion when it rolled out the update, as both Skyrim and Starfield communities wondered what the new Creations platform meant for the future of modding both games. While Skyrim introduced paid mods through the Creation Club before, the new platform changes the way free mods work on consoles, which has ultimately broken the load order for most players.

As opposed to the previous system, the load order can now be saved on Bethesda.net, which could open up the possibility of having a bigger storage capacity for mods in the future. Players on PC will be least affected by the changes, and the team at SKSE has already launched a new version of their Skyrim mod. It is also important to note that while mods have a new landing page on the main menu, downloading from an external website such as NexusMods is still an option.

Skyrim Creations Must Be Made Without AI Content

There are three key factors to consider with Skyrim‘s new Creations platform when it comes to paid mods:

• Creations must be all-new – authors cannot re-purpose a mod into a Skyrim Creation, it has to be made from scratch.
• Creations must be standalone, and not depend on any free or paid community release.
• Creations cannot contain anything produced with generative AI.

The first point does bode well for players who were worried that existing mods would stop being free, while the third point seems like a necessary decision on Bethesda’s part to moderate this new modding landscape. The details are outlined on the new Creations page at Bethesda.net, which also explains how modders can apply for the Verified Creator Program.

While it’s a good thing that community developers will have a means of earning royalty through mod sales, a great number of players are worried that Creations is Bethesda’s latest attempt at profiting off the modding community. However, there are a few notable changes from the Creation Club that make the new platform significantly more creator-friendly. Unlike Skyrim‘s Creation Club content, Creations only require voice acting for one language, and the Q&A is handled by Bethesda directly, easing the burden on mod developers by a good amount. The only negative downside of the new Skyrim update (thus far) is that it breaks many old saves.

Once official mod support for Starfield debuts in early 2024, it can be assumed that Creations will be a part of it. Though it remains to be seen how Bethesda will make use of the new platform for a brand-new game such as Starfield, Skyrim‘s content creators now have a direct way of earning some extra money.