While some game companies take issue with people modifying their games in certain ways (or at all), Stellar Blade director Hyung-tae Kim’s relaxed stance is surprisingly refreshing. While he doesn’t intend to enforce any kind of policy for mods (including mature content), he does want modders to be mindful that their creations don’t interfere with how the game operates.
Stellar Blade’s mod policy is that there isn’t one
In an interview with South Korean outlet This Is Game (spotted by Genki), Kim says that when used properly, mods can positively impact how games are experienced. Though he’s positive about mods that slightly change Stellar Blade’s gameplay (such as those that increase the game’s speed or difficulty), he cautions against creating mods that border on hacking and interfere with how the game runs. As such, he hopes modders for Stellar Blade will be mindful before making such malicious changes.
According to Kim, the current mod scene for Stellar Blade’s PC version is rather weak, as it mostly consists of cosmetic changes that, in his opinion, don’t surpass what the original game has to offer. He is looking forward to mods that will slightly change or expand the gameplay experience while remaining true to Shift Up’s original vision.
What about sexy mods?
Kim has no qualms about the PC version’s inevitable mature-oriented mods. Since Stellar Blade is rated for mature audiences in the first place, he doesn’t see the justification for regulating these particular mods, as modders will find workarounds to get them to players anyways. However, he is worried about modders selling their mods at high prices. Rather than gating fan-made content behind a paywall, he hopes modders will be able to share their work freely so more people can enjoy it.
As a final note, the main reason Kim doesn’t police modders is because he believes that Stellar Blade players are free to choose how they enjoy the game that they purchased. Nevertheless, he assumes all players are mature enough to steer away from creating mods that negatively impact the gameplay experience or tackle harmful and sensitive matters.
Stellar Blade is available on PC and PlayStation 5.
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