Nexus Mods has removed a mod for Starfield which removed the player’s ability to select pronouns at the start of the game, citing concerns with reduction of diversity.
It’s not hard to see the reason for the mod’s existence. Shortly after Starfield’s early release, the fact the game asks players to confirm their pronouns hit a nerve with certain parts of the internet. A heavily memed and mocked video by streamer HeelvsBabyface involved the aforementioned screaming "Sorry, did you want to get immersed in our world? Well, guess what? Fucking pronouns!" The video was joined by other complaints, and the mod, which simply removes that question, was sure to follow. Only to be swiftly deleted by Nexus Mods.
Nexus Mods released a statement, saying "Hosting this mod was not for us and it is certainly within our rights not to host content on our platform. It's not a 'political statement' or an 'alignment to one side or the other in the culture war.' We stand for diversity and inclusion in our community and the removal of diversity, while appealing to many, does not promote a positive modding community." While Nexus Mods’ statement is clear, there will certainly be some who absolutely see it as a position during the so-called culture war on pronouns, though we doubt it will impact the site too much.
Nexus Mods hosts the largest collection of game mods on the internet, and so it’s the place to be if you’re looking to get eyes on your mod. Unfortunately for certain modders, it definitely isn’t a welcoming place for you, if your mod goes against Nexus Mods’ standards and attitudes on diversity. It’s not the first time Nexus Mods has taken this action, having previously removed a mod in August of 2022. The mod for Marvel’s Spider-Man, named "Non-Newtonian New York", replaced Pride Flags with those of the American Flag. Nexus Mods removed the mod, stating the same drive for diversity as the more recent removal.
Starfield certainly hasn’t been hurt by the mod’s deletion. Despite the furore around pronouns, the game has become Bethesda’s largest ever launch. Mods will likely play a huge role in the game’s success in the future though, as with Skyrim and Fallout, so make sure to check back with Nexus Mods when you’re looking to add a little more to your Starfield playthroughs.
