Be Warned, The New Skyrim Patch Will Destroy All Your Mods
Tamriel has never looked so good, with the Skyrim Anniversary Edition being a worthy replacement for the Special Edition. Yes, yet another Skyrim port might seem like overkill, but with the 10-year celebration adding over 500 pieces of Creation Club content AND fishing, we were easily sold. Sadly, the latest Skyrim patch isn't good news.
We were already warned that updating to the Skyrim Anniversary Edition would potentially axe all non-official mods, and now, players are finding this out the hard way. Although the latest Skyrim patch gives us some great quality of life updates, it could come at the cost of all your hard-downloaded mods.
Why Is The Skyrim Patch Destroying Mods?
Mainly, the Skyrim Update 1.6.323 was released to address a black screen glitch that's ravaging the game. The problem is, the Anniversary Edition is an update to the base game rather than a whole new release. When you patch the Anniversary Edition it actually patches the Special Edition and any other version of Skyrim. Some mods will have compatibility issues until they are upgraded, but upgrading axes your mods - basically, it's Catch 22.
We've previously covered how modders can work around Bethesda's fortress, however, it would involve going back and tweaking your mod from the base up. Considering most modders have made them just for fun, it's not likely to be top of their priority list. Especially remembering some mods are as old as the base game itself.
Should You Download The Latest Skyrim Patch?
If your game is being plagued by the black screen, you're not left with much of a choice when it comes to downloading the Skyrim patch. However, be warned that the latest update also makes the beloved Skyrim Script Extender incompatible with the game. Some loyal Dragonborn have vowed to avoid updating until Bethesda makes the SKSE compatible again, and to be honest, we're with them on that.
As long as you've set Steam not to update Skyrim automatically, you can run the Skyrim Special Edition without applying the patch. Launch via the SKSE or the Nexus Mods Vortex while ensuring the "don't update automatically" box is checked. Players are also downgrading the Special Edition to version 1.5.97 - which apparently still works with the 1.6.323 update. Naturally, there's a mod for that.
It's a case of hindsight, because if Bethesda had actually released the Skyrim Anniversary Edition as a whole new game instead of a lazy update, we wouldn't be facing these problems at all. Until there's an official fix, we'd suggest you keep your wits around you. Well, unless you fancy missing out on Thomas the Tank Engine touring Tamriel.
