Nexus Mods makes AI disclosure mandatory but won't ban AI mods

Nexus Mods will not ban AI-generated mods. Instead, the site is making AI disclosure mandatory for newly uploaded mods and adding ways for users to hide AI content. Owner and CEO Victor “Foledinho” Folmann laid out the policy in a news post, which also sets a 60-day window for existing mods to comply.

Under the new rules, authors must declare whether AI was used in their work. According to GamesRadar, an example screenshot suggests the options include primarily AI-generated, AI-assisted, and featuring AI-generated promotional material. Mods tagged as AI-assisted also need a public explanation of how and where AI was used. Rock Paper Shotgun reports that AI tags will be shown right after adult-content tags on mod pages, and The Verge says they will be “more prominent” generally.

Other changes announced:

• Controls to hide AI-generated content on game pages and on the homepage, with search “next up,” according to The Verge. GamesRadar describes the filter as covering searches.
• New permission options covering AI usage and training, plus forks and derivative mods, are in development, along with stronger attribution when a mod builds on another author’s work with permission.
• Changes to the Recently Added section, including limits on how many mods from one author appear at a time and “tighter restrictions” on uploads from new accounts. Folmann said this is less an AI issue, but one that is growing as mod production speeds up.
• Investment in security tooling and specialised staff, aimed at concerns about generative AI producing “bespoke malicious code hidden inside mods.”

The grace period for existing mods runs from November 3 to January 2, per GamesRadar. After that, authors with missing disclosures or permission settings will be notified and asked to fix them. If they keep failing to comply, moderators may restrict their account or remove them from the site.

Nexus Mods also says it will not use mods to train AI and will not sell or license them to anyone who does.

Why it matters

Folmann’s argument against a ban is practical. AI is used across the creation process, he wrote, from script autocompletion to textures, voices and full assets, which makes a clear line between acceptable and unacceptable use hard to draw. A ban, in his view, would not remove AI from modding but would discourage people from admitting to it.

He acknowledged the limits of the approach: “While we hope these changes will encourage everyone to disclose their AI usage, to be honest, that’s not going to happen.” That is why the policy leans on moderation standards with consequences for breaking the rules.

GamesRadar compares the disclosure system to the AI labels on Steam, with the difference that Nexus users will be able to filter AI content out. Rock Paper Shotgun notes the announcement drew a mixed response. On LinkedIn, Folmann said some wanted a full ban and some think the site went too far, which he took as a sign the line was drawn “where the real argument is.”

What we don’t know yet

The sources do not say when the search filter will arrive, or what limits will apply to the Recently Added section.