20th Anniversary - Classy Classics Results feature

Welcome to the 20th Anniversary Classic Category results! With votes across twenty iconic mods throughout the site's history, the firsts-among-equals have been decided!

Every classic has had its part to play in the site's history - acting as inspiration for thousands across decades of modding. All of these folks did it first, laying the foundation for the ModDB that would come to be. In the end, only five mods from the poll could take pole positions, and you can find them below!

What better way to kick things off than with a mod that has been there since the very beginning? First making a release on its own in 1999, ModDB became its new home once the site was founded and placed in the very first Mod of the Year awards in 2002. Becoming something of a semi-regular feature throughout the early 2000s, it stands the test of time as one of the best ways to experience Half-Life with a community full of passionate creators and whacky gamemode makers.

Battlefield's storied history on ModDB means much of the mid-to-late 2000s were dominated by top-tier mods for the games, and some even enjoy a staggering amount of support to this day. Project Reality is one such mod that has been available in some form for over fifteen years now, and in that time the developers' enthusiasm has not waned and neither has that of their dedicated community of excited players. The history of mods like Project Reality is deeply entwined with the history of the site itself, and we've always delighted in hosting content that continues to evolve, year on year.

Warband, in the modern day, is less of a game itself and more of an engine for the exploration of many a fantasy franchise and setting, joining other games like Star Wars: Empire at War in that regard. One of the first of these huge overhaul mods to make a lasting impression was The Last Days, a Lord of the Rings total conversion. Many LOTR fans would find Warband as a great place to go for conversions of the franchise, letting you delve into Middle-Earth first-hand and wreak conflict wherever you choose, but this mod was a trail-blazer that really defined what was possible within Warband.

When one thinks of mods that went on to breed standalone commercial success, Garry's Mod is one of the first - and for many, the first, no contest - to come to mind. Introducing players to the sandbox gameplay that would later go on to define the childhoods of millions (quite literally), as well as kicking off the content creation careers of many a modder (myself included), it was a resounding hit that led Garry Newman down his own commercial journey. Forming Facepunch and going on to release the perhaps equally resonant Rust, he's now returning to where it all began with S&Box - a next-generation take on the user-driven, content creation powerhouse that was Garry's Mod.

The classiest of classics - as far as the site's audience were concerned - was none other than Forgotten Hope 2. Battlefield 2 is one of those games whose modding scene helped define ModDB's early years, joining the likes of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. Mods of that calibre provided a way for budding developers to practice their skills, hone their abilities, and create new experiences in an industry that had yet to make room for the indie scene. This is one mod which bred plenty of hope for the future of modding - and as long as you can run Battlefield 2, this mod won't be forgotten.

Congratulations to all the modders and community members who participated in the 20th Anniversary event! Stay tuned for the other category results coming up!