Community-made content can prolong the lifespan of any game, keeping it fresh and exciting for new and returning players alike. But the modding community isn’t without its faults, and mod developers often feel unwarranted pressure from gamers, with one Cities Skylines 2 modder removing their mods after receiving toxic messages.
Cities: Skylines 2 modder Impossumbear posted on Reddit on Dec. 15, announcing their retirement from the scene and explaining that they would be pulling their existing mods. They cited the sheer amount of pressure they’re feeling from Cities 2 players sending them hatemail every time their mods break, even when it happens due to game updates or changes—which is a common occurrence for any game running mods. The mod developer is afraid the hatemail will keep coming every time a patch breaks their mods, and said “I can’t take the toxicity anymore.”
“I am doing this for my mental health and well-being,” Impossumbear explained, adding that the community has generally shifted from a positive place to one “overrun with anger and hatred for the very same developers who revolutionized and revitalized this genre.” They said modders are taken for granted, and people treat them like machines that pump out content and aren’t allowed to make mistakes, no matter how great or small. Though Cities 2 is by no means perfect, Impossumbear says, people seem to blow everything out of proportion, using bugs to wage war against developers and modders alike.
“I just can’t do it anymore,” Impossumbear concluded in the post, which garnered substantial support on the Cities: Skylines 2 subreddit, with many players defending their decision.
A game like Cities 2 heavily relies on prolonged support from developers and modders. Its predecessor was one of the most modded games ever, with Colossal Order implementing many existing mods from the previous game into their latest installment. From quality-of-life additions to complete overhauls of core systems, Cities: Skylines mods are truly unique. But that doesn’t mean we get to attack the people making them, nor should they be expected to be perfect mechanized factories pumping out great content for us to enjoy.
The sheer amount of community support for the modder shows it’s not all doom and gloom, and the players sending hatemail are probably the outliers, as there are exceptions to every rule. Nevertheless, toxicity is still a prevalent issue, and it seems like it will never disappear.
