Nexus Mods founder is stepping away from his “behemoth” creation, passing the site onto new owners.
In a statement posted to the website, Robin “Dark0ne” Scott said that for both “my and the community’s best interest,” the “time has come to step back from the day-to-day running of the site.”
“I started this project back in 2001, in my bedroom, with a 56k modem, an excitement for the upcoming release of Morrowind, and with no grand ambitions or intentions. I didn’t set out to build a business, I just wanted to make a place where modders could share their work without worrying it would vanish into the internet, either the next time a fansite went offline or a publisher decided they were done with it. That idea grew legs, sprouted arms, and turned into Nexus Mods,” the statement began.
“Since then, this site has been my entire adult life. 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!”
Scott added that running the site had also been a “regular source” of anxiety and stress-related health issues, and suspected he had been “burning out,” which was impacting both the site and the “40 incredibly dedicated” people who work there.
“One of the biggest reasons I’ve been doing this for so long is that I’ve never felt that I truly found someone who really ‘gets’ the modding community the way I do. Finding a new owner who would be able to understand and respect the myriad intricacies of both Nexus Mods as a business and the wider modding community was essential,” he added (thanks, RPS). “After months of meetings, face-to-face talks, and a whole lot of soul searching, I am thrilled to say that I truly believe I have found the exact right people for the task.”
Though Scott insisted there wouldn’t be many changes from the user-side of things, he said the new owners – introduced via usernames – “have my complete trust.”
In a follow-up post, new owner “Foledinho” assured members “mods will always remain free” and ownership of the mods will continue to belong “to the creators who create them.” As for monetization?
“Monetization is hard and Nexus Mods is a complex platform,” the new owner said. “What matters most is continuing to support mod authors, delight users, and keep the lights on. We’re not changing the core model. No aggressive monetization. No paid mods. If anything, we’re aiming for fewer ads, not more. We’ll take a community-first, listening approach, and we won’t compromise on what’s made Nexus Mods special.”
In April 2025, a Japanese modder was sentenced to two years in prison. After being convicted of infringing Nintendo’s trademark and sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for three years. He was also fined around $3500.