SteamDB is now backed by Nexus Mods’ team as owner seek long-term sustainability.
Independent third-party Steam tracker SteamDB has announced a partnership with popular modification (mod) hosting platform Nexus Mods. The two entities now sit under the ownership of ChOSEN, although they will continue to operate independently.
PC gamers, in particular, will likely be familiar with both sites. SteamDB has long been a go-to tracking platform for Steam games, providing data on player counts, ongoing sales, release calendars and more. Meanwhile, Nexus Mods is one of the largest third-party platforms for hosting fan-made mods across a diverse selection of games.
At its core, the acquisition was made to expand SteamDB from a one-person operation into a cross-functional team, providing the platform with much-needed resources and long-term stability. SteamDB will continue operating with no notable changes for users, while Nexus Mods plans to carefully commercialise the platform to ensure its long-term sustainability.
The joint venture also benefits Nexus Mods by giving the platform access to SteamDB's wealth of Steam data. This could allow mods to receive faster and more accurate updates, potentially reducing compatibility issues and preventing mods from becoming corrupted following game updates.
Why did SteamDB join Nexus Mods?
SteamDB began as a two-person project, founded by xPaw and Marlamin in 2013. It rapidly grew into one of the most popular and trusted references for Steam games, particularly as Valve's platform continued to expand, with more than 139,000 games now recorded.
When Marlamin stepped away from the project around a decade ago, SteamDB was left solely on xPaw's shoulders. Over time, the workload and burnout began catching up with the developer. He cited the COVID era and the rise of AI as catalysts for his dwindling passion for running SteamDB.
“I have always considered SteamDB to be my hobby, but the amount of hours I have worked on it could be considered a full-time job. It was pure passion, and the ever increasing self inflicted workload has taken its toll.
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. A few years ago I tried to find someone to continue the project, but I couldn't find a team that I was confident in, so I decided to keep going by myself.”
xPaw explained that he struggled to find suitable partners to take over or help maintain SteamDB, leaving him to continue running the service alone for several more years.
“Running a service like SteamDB is not easy. 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,” he stated.
The mounting workload eventually led him to seek out Nexus Mods in January this year.
Is SteamDB being commercialised through the Nexus Mods partnership?
Yes. Nexus Mods is currently exploring ways to commercialise SteamDB and make it a sustainable platform, although it has stressed that it does not intend to compromise the site's existing value or legacy.
Through a SteamDB FAQ page, the team stated that it will not introduce advertisements or paywall existing features. Instead, it is exploring alternatives such as partnerships, integrations and affiliate links with publishers when users purchase a game after visiting SteamDB. Nexus Mods acknowledged that this approach may produce slower results, but said it is willing to take that route in order to commercialise the platform without compromising the user experience.
“We will not paywall anything that exists today, we will not sell your personal data, no login walls, we will not degrade the site to squeeze value out of it. Enshittification is when an owner extracts value while the product gets worse. Our plan is the opposite direction: put money and people in so the product gets better. Judge us on what we ship."
