We are a group of passionate and dedicated fans of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, one of the most acclaimed and popular role-playing games of all time. We have been playing and enjoying the game since its release in 2011, and we have also been actively involved in the modding community, which has added countless hours of fun and variety to the game.

However, Myself and many others are outraged and appalled by the recent decision of Bethesda Game Studios, the developer and publisher of Skyrim, to reintroduce paid mods in Skyrim Special Edition, through the new Bethesda Game Studios Creations hub. This decision is a blatant disregard and disrespect for the modding community, which has always been a free and collaborative space for modders and players to share their creations, ideas, and feedback. It also poses a serious threat to the quality and compatibility of the game and the mods, as well as the integrity and lore-friendliness of the game world.

Paid mods are not a new concept, as Bethesda tried to implement them in 2015, through a partnership with Valve and Steam. However, the attempt was met with overwhelming criticism and backlash from the modding community and the gaming industry, and was quickly abandoned after only four days. The main reasons for the failure of paid mods were:

- Paid mods create a monopoly for Bethesda, as they control the platform, the pricing, the distribution, and the quality of the mods. This discourages free and open modding, as modders have to comply with Bethesda's rules and regulations, and pay a fee to access the platform. It also reduces the incentive for modders to create and share their mods for free, as they can earn money from selling them.

- Paid mods harm the quality and compatibility of the game and the mods, as they are not subject to the same standards and testing as the official Creation Club content, which is curated and quality-controlled by Bethesda. This means that paid mods can introduce bugs, glitches, conflicts, and crashes to the game, as well as elements that are inconsistent or incompatible with the original game or other mods. For example, one of the paid mods is a Dwemer-made gun that shoots bullets, which is clearly out of place in a medieval fantasy setting.

- Paid mods violate the spirit and values of the modding community, which has always been based on free and open sharing of content, ideas, and feedback. Modding is a form of artistic expression and creativity, not a business transaction. Modders create and share their mods for the love of the game and the community, not for profit. Modders also rely on the support and cooperation of other modders, as they often use and modify each other's assets, scripts, and tools, with proper credit and permission. Paid mods undermine this culture of collaboration and mutual respect, as they create a competitive and divisive environment, where modders have to protect their intellectual property and deal with legal issues.

We believe that Bethesda is making a huge mistake by trying to monetize the modding community, which has been one of the main reasons for Skyrim's longevity and popularity. We fear that this will alienate and divide the modders and players, and ruin the immersive and creative experience that Skyrim and it's mods offer. We demand that Bethesda reverses their decision and removes paid mods from Skyrim as of 2023 and beyond.

Please sign this petition if you agree with us and want to preserve the modding community as a free and collaborative space. Together, we can make a difference.