How Fanfiction Fuels Game Modding

Fanfiction allows fans to explore the characters and universes that make up their favorite forms of entertainment. Writers can use the various platforms to create romances they want to see, scenes they feel are missing, or have events play out differently. Fanfiction is now expanding beyond posting sites and forums, and gamers are even witnessing their fanfiction make it to the modding realms. Here are a few ways fanfiction is fueling game modding in unique ways to give fans exactly what they want, even if the developers do not. 

Fanfiction Inspires Same-Sex Mods

RPG games like Baldur’s Gate 3 have a large amount of romance options. These options seem like enough for most gamers, but there is one option that frequently doesn’t make it to the games. For many, this lost option tends to be in the category of same-sex romances. A sub-genre of fanfiction, known as slash, focuses on these lost romances and develops them using the game dialogue and events. Mod developers have used this fanfiction to create full mods, allowing same-sex romances that fit directly with the game. An example is Jack and the female Shepard in Mass Effect.

Mods Can Fix Messy Endings

One of the least well-received game endings in the past decade has been the ending to Mass Effect 3. It was so poorly received that fanfiction writers took to their keyboards to create different endings. The modders on Nexus Mods heard the outcry and started working on mods that matched some end-game fanfiction being churned out. The answer was the Happy Ending Mod. This mod allows Commander Shepard to appear in the end-game scene on the Normandy, giving fans the option to have their favorite Commander survive as the hero who saved the galaxy. 

Modders Seek Out Additional Quests

Additional quests usually show up in DLC packs or expansions and include characters and dialogue unique to that new addition. Modders are now using fanfiction to create the same types of DLC and expansion in the form of a mod. One that has become popular with Fallout fans is The Commonwealth Responders. This mod creates an entirely new and unique quest with special dialogue and locations within the Fallout universe. The mod shows just how fanfiction can reach and be heard in the gaming community. 

Remember that mods can be adapted to most games, but some platforms may have restrictions. These restrictions may apply to adult-rated mods or mods that infringe on copyright. Make sure to check with the site for any specific rules and restrictions.