As Starfield Steam Reviews Plunge to ‘Mostly Negative,’ Todd Howard Responds to Paid Mods Backlash – IGN

Bethesda Game Studios chief Todd Howard has responded to a backlash over Starfield paid mods, confirming the developer will look at its pricing model for Creations content.

On Steam, Starfield’s recent user reviews are now on ‘Mostly Negative’ after disgruntled players hit out at Bethesda for charging $7 for a single Starfield mission. The second mission of the recently released Trackers Alliance is only available as a Starfield Creation and costs $7, or 700 credits.

Creations are built via Starfield’s Creation Kit, and include free and paid-for mods. Creations include new missions, gear, skins, and weapons. Here’s the official blurb from Bethesda:

Trackers Alliance establishes the first of several missions enabling you to live your best bounty-hunting life. The first mission, The Starjacker will have you in contact with a mysterious Tracker located in settlements throughout the Settled Systems. From there, let the hunts begin!

The second Trackers Alliance mission, The Vulture is available within the new Creations menu. And what bounty hunter is without their trusted methods to get the job done?

While this latest backlash revolves around The Vulture mission, Bethesda has faced criticism over paid mods before. Indeed it’s the studio’s continued effort to enable paid mods for its games that has rubbed some players up the wrong way.

“Really? Another push for curated paid mods no one asked for?” reads one negative Steam review. “There is a simple reason why many players and modders enjoy modding their games for decades: it is done as a hobby, for players by players, without corporate responsibilites and apart from donation opportunities, without asking for or expecting monetary compensation.

“You are not aiding modding in the slightest. You are trying to turn modding into a business opportunity, to be a parasite that profits from underpaid work you do not want to do yourselves.”