Mods have been around forever. Released online by fans, gamers can tweak their video games to either address bugs not dealt with by developers, add in content to help progress the narrative or simply completely change the game. We’re going to see more incredible mods release online as time goes on but today we’re going to showcase some of the biggest game mods we have ever come across. Please note that we did not rank this list in any particular order and will continue to add more exciting mods as they release.
[Check back for future updates.]
#10 Star Wars: Galactic Warfare
Game: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty is a massive franchise as is but it really blew up with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Really, it’s the Call of Duty experience you are all familiar with today but when it launched on PC, modders took to work and delivered a really awesome experience for players. Star Wars: Galactic Warfare uses the base game of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare but it brings in a ton of work from modders to give players a new experience. Players will find everything from new maps and scripting to bring out a first-person shooter experience in the Star Wars universe.
You’ll find a total of seven Star Wars themed maps such as Bespin and Mos Eisly. Likewise, developers behind the mod brought in unique airstrikes that feature both a Y-Wing and Tie-Bomber. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any new updates for a good while as the development team on Moddb has claimed they have completely finished the project. Regardless, this was a work of passion and one that thousands of players have enjoyed since it first launched online.
#9 Just Cause 2 Multiplayer
Game: Just Cause 2
Just Cause is a fun video game in general but when the sequel released years ago some modders felt that it could use a bit more active bodies. With Just Cause 2 gamers could link up and enjoy crazy amounts of mayhem and it doesn’t just limit to just a few players per server as there have been reports of this game mod allowing hundreds to join in. There were even talks of getting the same feature mod over to Just Cause 3 but the development was halted at the moment. If you enjoy the Grand Theft Auto online experience then this would be a perfect option to run with and it’s still something that’s active today.
#8 A Game of Thrones Mod
Game: Crusader Kings 2
Game of Thrones is a huge worldwide craze thanks to the HBO adaptation which caused viewers to go back and read the novels. Right now we’re on the verge of ending the series and it’s a shame that after all this time, we never really got a great Game of Thrones video game title. There have been a few attempts and I think personally the best one to have released was through Telltale Games, which the development team has since become defunct meaning we’ll never get a sequel to continue on the cliffhanger storyline characters. Thankfully we have a mod which will help gamers who are hoping to enjoy an interactive medium of the popular franchise.
Using Crusader Kings 2, A Game of Thrones mod turns the continents into different factions and locations from the Game of Thrones material. You’ll battle against an assortment of groups we’ve come to know and love such as the Starks or Lannisters likewise it’s filled with all the elements that made the Crusader Kings a popular title, to begin with. Furthermore, the mod is still being worked on today with the latest update at the time of writing this being April of 2019.
#7 The Long War
Note: Original XCOM: Enemey Unknown trailer.
Game: X-COM
X-COM has a clear following and it wouldn’t come to much surprise to see fans dabble into mixing the game up with a mod or two. However, there is one clear mod that made this list and likely one you’ve already heard of if you enjoyed the game. We’re referring to The Long War, a mod that was developed under Pavonis Interactive and gained attention from not only fans but the development team behind X-COM itself. With this mod fans of the game received a longer campaign, classes and more. The chances you may have noticed this mod before may because the development team helped Pavonis out in order to bring up a similar mod to the sequel X-COM 2. This is actually really cool as most often fans end up getting the boot from mod projects like these or fan games.
#6 DayZ
Game: ARMA 2
You’ve all likely have heard about DayZ it’s a popular title that got its start back during the days of ARMA 2. In fact, some would say that DayZ is one of the pioneer titles to help out the battle royale style games most players regularly today. In DayZ players are tasked with defeating other surviving opponents in a post-apocalyptic world. Throughout the game, you’ll have to seek out different gear and resources to keep your character alive and well. As mentioned, this game got its start as a mod but has since turned into a standalone title.
The standalone title is still pretty new where it only officially launched back in December of 2018 for the PC platform. Luckily, it’s popularity has allowed the development team, Bohemia Interactive, to take their game and port it over to the Xbox One. PlayStation 4 players will also receive the game though it’s only scheduled to be released sometime this year. If you’re interested in a survival aspect of video games then you may want to give DayZ a try as it forces players to keep track and manage several areas such as water, food, and medicine while also dealing with both zombies or hostile players.
#5 The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod
Game: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II
Everyone has their favorite Star Wars game. One of the critically acclaimed titles that gamers still reflect upon when discussing video games from the franchise is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. This was an RPG title developed under BioWare that had plenty of story and gameplay mechanics to keep gamers playing from start to finish. So needless to say, when the sequel was announced, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Obsidian Entertainment who took over development had plenty riding on their shoulders. LucasArts was pushing the game to release in a timely matter and fans were hoping for a similar experience from their time with the first video game installment.
Fortunately for Obsidian Entertainment, they pleased both groups as they pushed the game out in time and it received a positive reception from critics. However, even though the game was well-received, developers had to leave plenty of content out in order to make the release deadline. That’s when modders came in and released The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod. With this mod gamers not only get a few bugs fixed but they also brought in a ton of content that was originally left out giving players the full experience gamers had originally hoped for.
#4 Black Mesa
Game: Half-Life 2
Valve has made a number of iconic video game franchises and one of those is Half-Life, the video game franchise that is notorious for not having an official closing. Each year rumors circulate online of a potential Half-LIfe 3 but there have been no announcements on the game yet. Regardless, if you never enjoyed the first game in the series, Half-Life, then we suggest looking into Black Mesa, a mod that got its start through Half-Life 2. Within the game, players will see years of work put into a mod which enhanced the original title but with a current game engine.
So much work went into this project that Valve noticed the passion developers had put into it. Instead of killing the project they decided to give them their good graces and even allowed a standalone version to be sold through the Steam marketplace. In fact, the game available was available through early access on Steam with the full release coming sometime later this year.
#3 Enderal: The Shards of Order
Game: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda loves selling their latest title from The Elder Scrolls franchise years after it released originally. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will go down in history as it brought in gamers worldwide to enjoy an enthralling adventure journey. Despite all the updates, expansions and editions, there are still gamers looking for even more content to go through and that’s where Enderal: The Shards comes into play. This is a mod that took a group of developers to create.
Gamers will receive a full campaign with new class systems, voice actors, and animations and more. Recently the mod even received another expansion DLC which added even more lore, new skills, gameplay mechanics and characters to meet. Essentially, if you’re waiting on the next main installment to The Elder Scrolls franchise then you may find Enderal to be enough to keep you satisfied.
#2 Defense of the Ancients / DOTA
Note: Official DOTA 2 trailer.
Game: Warcraft 3
When it comes to the MOBA genre you may have to look back to Defense of the Ancients mod. Most would credit this mod to really help the genre and bring in new titles. This was a mod for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos which played like a standard MOBA title where players are leveling up their hero, armies and destroying the different architecture of the enemy. Because of the popularity, we have titles like League of Legends and massive tournaments where gamers worldwide join together and compete.
#1 Garry’s Mod
Game: Half-Life 2
Garry’s Mod is a game that released in 2004 and is still being enjoyed today. Essentially, this is a sandbox physics title that was developed to be used through Half-Life 2. Later on, it was released as a standalone title, but it’s a bit tough to really describe the mod. Really, this is a game where you can do just about anything. Create your own world or games for others to play. In fact, there are servers available for gamers to play game modes like hide-and-seek or general roleplay servers. If you’re looking for a game to really enjoy a wide range of experiences then you really can’t go wrong with Garry’s Mod.
