What just happened? SteamDB, the hugely popular third-party database and analytics website for Valve's platform, has been acquired by Chosen, the owner of Nexus Mods. SteamDB co-founder Pavel Djundik says that the partnership was a necessity as the work keeping the site running became unsustainable.
Djundik writes that he started SteamDB with fellow co-founder Marlamin back in 2013. As the site grew in popularity, so did the workload. Marlamin later stepped back from the project, and what was a hobby for Djundik now requires enough hours to be a full-time job.
"After COVID and with the rise of AI, the internet we once loved is gone, and with it my passion. I have started experiencing burnout with the project, but I powered through," he wrote.
Djundik tried to find someone to take over the project a few years ago, but he couldn't find anyone suitable, so he continued alone. However, more games being added to Steam meant more work, leading to burnout and an admission that he couldn't continue by himself.
"I wouldn't be able to live with myself by either just letting the site run as-is and letting it wither, or completely shut it down. In January, I started looking for a worthy partner that could continue the legacy that I had built," Djundik explained. Now, Nexus Mods owner Chosen has fulfilled that role.
Plenty of people are worried about what this will mean for SteamDB.
Victor Folmann, CEO of Chosen, said his company isn't going to change what makes SteamDB "special." It will instead offer the resources, team, and long-term stability it deserves, while building a sustainable foundation that allows continued investment, Folmann claimed.
"There will be things we want to improve and new things we want to build, but we'll do that thoughtfully," Folmann added.
An FAQ on the change confirms that SteamDB will be commercialized. This will apparently not involve ads, but it may include the use of partnerships, integrations, and affiliate links with publishers when users buy a game after visiting SteamDB.
It's emphasized that SteamDB will remain free to use and nothing currently on the site will be moved behind a paywall. There are also promises not to sell user data and for SteamDB to keep its identity.
Another section notes that integrating SteamDB's build and file-history data could help Nexus Mods identify installed game versions, flag incompatible mods, and warn users before a Steam update breaks their setup. It could also enable version pinning and verify installations against known clean game files, using data SteamDB already collects.
There will also be other occasions where SteamDB links up with Nexus Mods, such as a SteamDB game page showing that a game has a thriving modding scene, and a Nexus Mods game page showing live player stats.
Despite the acquisition being framed as good for everyone, it seems a lot of people are unhappy about it, noting some of the unpopular changes that have been introduced to Nexus Mods: a divisive site redesign, restrictions preventing mod authors from permanently deleting files, and the discontinuation of its multiplatform app in favor of Vortex. Many people also believe more aggressive forms of monetization are now inevitable for SteamDB.
SteamDB is acquired by Nexus Mods' owner after its founder says burnout made the site unsustainable
