We're celebrating the 20th Anniversary of ModDB, by taking a look at our history, as well as twenty years of industry-defining user-generated content. Now's your chance to look back at the best-in-category across one hundred legendary mods and five defining categories of the medium!
In 2002, ModDB was founded as a way to revolutionise access to mods and user generated content, at a time when mods often stole the spotlight from the games they were made for. Hosting some of the legends of the past like Counter-Strike, Natural Selection, and Team Fortress, the site has since provided a home for tens of thousands of mods across tens of thousands of games.
In 2022, ModDB continues to flourish, with new mods added every day. As the industry experiences something of a "modding renaissance", ModDB remains at the forefront of the UGC community to do what it has always done - celebrate the work of passionate creators, big and small. Now's the time to look back on our legacy and commemorate some of the titans whose shoulders we stand on.
20 years of incredible mods
From now, over the next 20 days, you'll get steadily introduced to our curated selection of one hundred mods of the past Mod of the Year winners sorted into five categories (click each link to be taken to the category voting page!):
These are mods that placed in Mod of the Year within the first ten years of ModDB's operation (2002 - 2011). hese were selected from the Top 2 of the Player's Choice award for each year. Any overlap was resolved by moving into the Top 3. These are mods that are remembered for their impact even decades later, and many of their developers have become industry professionals in their own right. Read on.
Stargate - EAW: Pegasus Chronicles - 2007, A Clash Of Kings - 2013, Medieval Kingdoms Total War - 2013
These mods change the game more than any other - transforming their parent titles across story and even genre boundaries into entirely new experiences. It's one thing to build on a foundation, but these mods built their own foundation from the ground up. They're one of the best demonstrations of the raw power of modding! Read on.
In the absence of new games in a franchise - or perhaps in response - modders will take matters into their own hands and tell the stories they want to know. Become the bad guy; explore the story of a fan-favourite character from a new perspective; or detail an unknown corner of the world. Alternatively, play your favourite title in a revitalised way, overhauled into a new experience for repeat players. These are the mods for the hardcore series fanatics. Read on.
Some of the most influential mods in modding history crossed the boundary of singleplayer and brought groups of friends together in all out conflict. Whether in co-operative or competitive settings, whether in the past, modern day, or future, and whether realistic or not, these multiplayer mods shaped friendships across decades of play. Read on.
These are mods that placed in Mod of the Year within the last ten years (2012-2021). These were selected from the Top 2 of the Player's Choice award for each year. Any overlap was resolved by moving into the Top 3. These mods, despite their recent placement, have made a serious impact on modding culture and will one day be the legends themselves. Read on.
Revealing the player voted favorites
As the event progresses, for 20 days between July 20th to August 8th, you'll be able to check out the categories as they're unveiled:
- July 20th - Classics
- July 22nd - Total Conversions
- July 24th - In-Universe Stories
- July 26th - Multiplayers
- July 28th - Moderns
Then, after user polls on each of these categories (concluding 20 days after the event starts, on August 8th), we will start to unveil the user picks for the best mods of all time in these categories:
- Top 5 Best Classic Mods (10th August)
- Top 5 Best Total Conversion Mods (11th August)
- Top 5 Best In-Universe Mods (12th August)
- Top 5 Best Multiplayer Mods (13th August)
- Top 5 Best Modern Mods (14th August)
Whether you are a modder, community contributor or just a lurker, thanks for helping to shape ModDB and hundreds of games over the last 20 years. We wouldn't exist without your involvement in our journey - and we look forward to starting the next 20 years and seeing what amazing content gets created for our favorite games.
There are far too many amazing and incredible mods in the past decade to pick from!
Yeah, so many mods made it to be released and really good, it's incredible!
20 years huh? Time flies.
I'll say, it took me almost a year to get around to reading this.