After controversy and disapproval, Valve removes paid mods from the Steam Workshop.
[dropcap size=small]A[/dropcap]fter only a week of operation, Valve has announced the removal of the feature that allowed mod creators to put a price on the mods they have created for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The feature launched on April 21st strictly for Skyrim but Valve planned on implementing it for other games in the future.
In a statement made from Valve, they say, “We’ve done this because it’s clear we didn’t understand exactly what we were doing.” They later explained that the payment feature on the Steam Workshop would be removed and anyone who did buy any of the mods will receive a full refund.
The removal of the paid mods came not long after Skyrim publisher Bethesda made a comment in support of the mods. After hearing of the news, Bethesda updated the post saying, “After discussion with Valve, and listening to our community, paid mods are being removed from Steam Workshop. Even though we had the best intentions, the feedback has been clear – this is not a feature you want. Your support means everything to us, and we hear you.”
Skyrim’s Workshop gave the modders the decision to whether they wanted their mods to be free or if they wanted to put a price on it. The revenue was split up so that Valve received 30% of sales, the modder 25%, and Bethesda 45%.
The Steam Workshop has previously been greatly successful, earning over $57 million since its launch in 2011. This came from many outlets like hate in Team Fortress 2 or skins in Dota 2.
