In today’s slightly unexpected acquisition news, the world’s largest mod sharing platform has just purchased SteamDB. Nexus Mods announced that it had acquired the independent Steam-focused database in a news post on its website, where it called SteamDB “one of the most trusted resources for PC gaming.”
SteamDB was started in 2013 by two people named Marlamin and xPaw and was little more than a hobby, but as it grew in size it became more difficult to maintain. Nexus Mods said it began talking to xPaw when the programmer – who had eventually taken full responsibility for running the site – began looking for someone who could give it “the resources, development capacity and long-term stability” that it struggled to provide on its own.
Nexus Mods claims that it shares many of the same values as SteamDB, both of which were primarily designed to serve a large community of hardcore PC gamers. SteamDB records player charts, price history, updates, and other data for the entire Steam catalog, and the ability to better track which version of a particular game players are installing mods into was particularly appealing to Nexus Mods. Updates are notorious game-breakers when mods are involved and SteamDB’s huge amount of historical data should prove beneficial to ongoing development.
SteamDB will keep its current name and won’t change much in the short term, so you can continue to use it as you currently do. According to Nexus Mods, the main changes will happen behind the scenes, as a dedicated team will eventually take over management of the database, improving its “infrastructure, security and scalability.” SteamDB also traditionally relies on donated Steam keys to track game files, and while it will still rely heavily on its community in the future, Nexus Mods will also begin funding keys itself.
In its own separate statement on SteamDB, xPaw reassured the community that it was in good hands with Nexus Mods, and said the goal was to invest and help it survive rather than “change what makes the project special.” He also highlighted the rise of AI in a post-COVID world contributing to the end of “the internet we once loved”, and with it his own passion to continue.
“I have full confidence that the team will be able to continue improving the project for players, developers and publishers,” xPaw said in a statement. “I will help the team ensure a smooth transition in the coming months. This project has occupied my entire adult life. Thanks to everyone who has used SteamDB, contributed to it, reported bugs, shared it with others, or simply found it useful.”
