Open-World RPGs That Aged Well Thanks To Mod Support

One major benefit of PCs over consoles is the vibrant modding community that supports many games. Dedicated players are always finding ways to improve their favorite titles, fixing issues or adding new features. This allows players to customize their gaming experience to exactly how they want it. Mods can be small, like new outfits or skins, or large-scale, including changes to combat, improved graphics, or even entirely new quests and campaigns. Fans often share these creations with each other for free, simply because they enjoy it.

Many open-world role-playing games have gained a dedicated fanbase because players can heavily modify them, with thousands of downloadable tweaks and additions. This keeps the games relevant and enjoyable for years, as the community continually improves and updates them, often bringing them up to current standards and preventing them from feeling outdated. Skyrim is a prime example, and the same is true for games from developers like Bethesda, Obsidian, BioWare, and CD Projekt Red. Let’s explore some of the best modern open-world RPGs that have stayed popular thanks to strong modding communities, offering players a huge variety of ways to customize their experience.

Starfield

Despite A Slow Start, It Only Gets Better

We’ve talked about games like Skyrim and Fallout 4 being popular for modding, but let’s look at a newer Bethesda game: Starfield. When it was released, Starfield didn’t quite live up to the high expectations many people had. It’s much bigger than any previous Bethesda game, and one of its biggest hurdles is that its world feels broken up into many planets that can feel similar, making it harder to feel fully immersed in the adventure – something Bethesda has done well in the past with large, connected maps. Despite these issues, Starfield still has a lot of promise.

A major draw for Starfield was its ability to customize ships and build bases, offering more options than Fallout 4. This was just the beginning, as modders have greatly expanded these features, and nearly every other part of the game. Players have created new characters, weapons, quests, and adventures. The game also benefited from unofficial patches that fixed bugs and improved graphics. Some incredibly ambitious mods even completely change the game, like turning it into a Star Wars experience. Starfield also has a built-in platform called “Creations” where players can easily find and install both official and community-made mods – some of which cost money. Despite a rocky start, Starfield is getting better all the time, thanks to updates from the developers (like the new Rev-8 Rover) and the passionate modding community, suggesting the game’s future is bright.

Cyberpunk 2077

A Lifepath Destined To Be Changed

Like many games with a rocky start, Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t just improving with time – it’s actively getting better. CD Projekt Red has consistently released updates and new content for the past five years. The standard version of Cyberpunk 2077 today is significantly better than the original 1.0 release, with major improvements like a redesigned skill system, updated clothing and implant options, and a functioning police system. But the official updates are only part of the story – the game’s passionate modding community has also contributed a huge amount to enhancing the experience in Night City.

Even though it came out five years ago, Cyberpunk 2077 is still one of the best-looking open-world games, especially with features like path tracing. The game’s visuals can be improved even further with mods that enhance textures, materials, and character models, and customize the user interface for a more immersive experience. Mods also make the characters in the game more detailed and realistic. Since characters are so important to Cyberpunk 2077, many mods focus on expanding the character creation tools, letting players design exactly the character they want with new outfits and tattoos. Beyond characters, mods add new weapons – from guns to swords – and vehicles. Some truly transformative mods even introduce features like flying cars, dynamic quests, and survival mechanics, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in the world of Night City and go far beyond the main storyline.

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

Built On Flexible Foundations

As a huge fan, I can tell you that even without any modifications, Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is already one of the best open-world RPGs out there. What really sets it apart is how much freedom you have – you can play however you want, and the combat and strategy are incredibly deep. It’s not as flashy as some big-budget games, and it can feel a little unpolished, but honestly, that doesn’t matter. The sheer scope of the game and how open-ended it is more than make up for it. Plus, it’s the perfect game to mod! Most mods focus on improving the gameplay and core mechanics, making an already amazing experience even more immersive and tailored to your preferences.

With extensive character customization, improved combat, and the freedom to play as almost any character, Bannerlord offers endless ways to keep the game exciting. Beyond that, mods revamp diplomacy, make crafting more realistic, and create larger, more dynamic battles with smarter enemies, along with deeper companion and reputation systems. Many mods also improve how the game looks and feels, adding immersive details, realistic weather, and graphical enhancements. Like other popular open-world RPGs, Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord boasts total conversion mods that can transform the game into entirely new worlds, such as Middle-earth or Westeros. Dedicated players can also find mods focused on historical accuracy. All of this ensures Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord remains a vibrant and evolving game, growing more expansive and interesting over time.

Elden Ring

Fan Mods Inspiring The Devs

Since its release in 2022, Elden Ring has become a hugely popular and long-lasting open-world RPG, continuing to attract a large number of players. Its popularity and player-versus-player combat have made it a prime game for modding. With so many different ways to create characters and fight, you could play Elden Ring multiple times and still not experience everything it has to offer. But for dedicated fans, mods offer a way to expand the game and enjoy fresh adventures in The Lands Between.

The modding community has significantly expanded the Elden Ring experience. Seamless co-op has been incredibly popular, even prompting the developers to consider similar features in future games. Randomizers are another highlight, completely changing enemy placements, boss locations, and loot drops to make each playthrough unique and unpredictable. Players are also combining randomizers with mods that add new weapons, moves, and even content from older FromSoftware games – something the developers themselves did with Elden Ring Nightreign. Finally, many fans have created mods to improve the game’s graphics on PC, adding higher-quality textures, models, and lighting for a more immersive experience.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Geralt Hasn’t Aged A Bit

Even ten years after its release in 2025, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still incredibly popular and actively supported. The developers have updated and re-released the game on all current gaming systems with official improvements, making the Complete Edition a must-play for anyone who enjoys the Witcher world. Although the game’s modding community isn’t as large as those for games like Skyrim, players can still find plenty of ways to customize and change almost anything in the game, offering a fresh way to experience Geralt’s story.

With a wealth of new armor, weapons, and improved combat, the original version of The Witcher 3 now feels like a starting point for players to customize their experience. A vibrant modding community offers everything from graphical enhancements – like the popular Reworked Project NextGen Edition – and new quests, to quality-of-life improvements like unlimited inventory or revamped Witcher senses, and even entirely new survival mechanics for a deeper challenge. Because of the endless creativity of its fans, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains a game worth returning to, offering fresh content and a chance to rediscover Geralt’s epic story.

2025-12-31 02:38