Adult content on Nexus Mods will soon be blocked behind an age-verification check. (Screenshot/Cyberpunk 2077)
Thirsty gamers will need to work a little harder for their explicit content after a top video game modding website, Nexus, said it is adding age-verification checks in the near future.
Community content website Nexus Mods announced earlier this week that it plans to add age-verification requirements for users hoping to download ‘Not Safe For Work’ (NSFW) or adult mods.
Video game mods are optional, user-generated additions or changes to a video game to enhance the experience. They can range anywhere from gameplay modifications, to changes to the game’s content or story.
Nexus Mods, one of the top modding websites in the world, which features over half-a-million mod files for over 3,800 games and counting, wrote in a Tuesday (1 July) statement that it is making changes to comply with new UK and EU laws that aim to protect under-age internet users from inappropriate content.
The UK’s Online Safety Act and the EU’s Digital Services Act, passed earlier this year, aim to protect young people from potentially harmful content online by forcing major platforms to implement safety checks to prevent underage users from accessing explicit material.
Nexus’ content team lead, Sarah “SlugGirl”, confirmed that, as a UK-based company, it had a “legal obligation” to follow the newly-passed laws and aimed to follow guidance set out by UK regulator, Ofcom.
“As a business, this leaves us with a choice; remove adult content for all UK and EU-based users, [or] make adjustments to our policy, inclduing adding age verification for some adult content,” Sarah wrote.
The website’s Adult Content Guidelines will reportedly be overhauled to provide “more detail and better categorisation,” including new tags for explicit content which users will have the option to hide.
Tags include “pornographic, extreme violence, harmful substances, suicide, self-harm, depression, body stigma, eating disorders, swearing or profanity,” and “sexualised.”
Currently, the website features over 21,300 mods labelled as “sexualised,” over 36,000 mods labelled as “sexy/skimpy,” and over 2,700 “extreme violence/gore” mods.
How Nexus Mods’ age-verification check for its adult content will work is currently under review, with Sarah saying the specifics are “being carefully considered as we want to get this right.”
“We want to be clear that these changes are not optional for us,” she says. “They are part of complying with legislation, and we are committed to keeping our platform safe for everyone.
“Adult content is a core part of what makes Nexus Mods what it is; we don’t consider removing it a viable option. We are aware that some users may find the changes irritating; however, we are obligated to do this to ensure we can continue to host adult content legally.”
UK-based porn site, PornHub, announced earlier this week that it also planned to add age-verification checks for users intending to access the site by 25 July.
The site’s parent company, Aylo, told the BBC that it was bringing in “government-approved age-assurance methods.” While they have not confirmed the format of these checks, it will likely involve a photo ID or credit card check.
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