Skyrim's controversial new paid modding platform gets one thing right: banning AI mods

Skyrim mods made available on the game's new Creations platform will not be allowed to contain any content produced through generative AI.

Earlier this week, Bethesda released a substantial Skyrim update that bundled in the already somewhat unpopular Creation Club with an official modding platform, forming the new 'Creations' menu. The Creations hub is, for all intents and purposes, another attempt to make paid mods a thing, and it's been met with an outpouring of disappointment from Starfield modders who say they'll still never charge for their work, regardless of Bethesda's efforts.

Frustrating as yet another bite at the paid mods apple might be, there is at least one positive to stem from the Creations. In an FAQ, Bethesda discusses ways in which modders looking to sell their work for money would get their mods on the Creations storefront. In the end, it'll be Bethesda who decides on what's available to sell, based on whether or not you're a member of its new Verified Creator Program. 

But the studio also clarifies that anything you sell won't be allowed to hinge on any other mods, must be entirely new work, and perhaps most interestingly, "cannot contain anything produced through generative AI."

That's likely a stance pertaining primarily to copyright - if Bethesda's going to sell content, it has to have the rights to do so, and generative AI can cause issues on that front. There are some generators that don't use any copyrighted work, but it's likely easier for Bethesda to simply instate a blanket ban against the technology. 

But even if this is just a legal stance, it remains a stance, and if Creations is paving the way for Starfield modding, as some are speculating, then Bethesda may also be attaching this stance to its new flagship IP and one of the biggest games of the year. Creations might not be hugely popular within the current audience, but it'll be interesting to see what impact it has on the broader modding scene by cutting AI out of the equation entirely.

Phil Spencer wants Starfield to be a 12-year hit, just like Skyrim.