The large modding site Nexus Mods has announced several big changes that it says are designed to make it easier for modders to make a living through their work. Starting in August, modders will no longer be able to truly delete mods from Nexus--though they can "archive" them and make them inaccessible to an average user, they can still be downloaded under certain circumstances.

As the lengthy blog post announcing the move explains, this new archiving system is meant to help modders and players build "collections," which are sets of mods that work together to create a desired experience. When a mod is archived, though players won't be able to download it from Nexus directly, the mod will still be included in collections that feature it, and it can be downloaded as part of that collection.

Nexus staff argue that that collections will make it easier for entry-level users to mod popular games like Skyrim without worrying about compatibility issues, or having to comb through long lists of mods. They also hope that these collections will help more modders receive funds through the site's Donation Points system, which was introduced back in 2018. Given the scope of these changes, they'll obviously draw a variety of responses, but the overall tenor of reactions appeared to be positive. Modders who would like their work wiped permanently from Nexus Mods have until August 5 to file a request with the site.