Skyblivion dev opens up about death threats and harassment

There's little doubt in the video game world that Bethesda's games are propped up after launch by their huge modding communities, and the company itself knows this better than anyone. The biggest example of this is Skyblivion, the huge drive from fans to remake the entirety of The Elder Scrolls icon, Oblivion.

Remaking the 2007 RPG in the engine of Skyrim, Skyblivion includes all the visual upgrades and recognisable traits of its successor. It's an enormous undertaking, and it's a shock that even the dedicated fans of Bethesda can find the time for it.

Now, it has become clear that doing such a service to fans can also come with a pretty hateful price, with the Skyblivion devs opening up about the abuse they receive from the sometimes toxic community of gamers. This is why we can't have nice things. 

Skyblivion dev talks about receiving death threats

In a very sad update, the Lead Developer behind Skyblivion has opened up on Twitter about the emotional toll creating the mod has taken on them. They claim to have received death threats and abuse online.

"It is a bit sad that working on Skyblivion means dealing with stalking, death threads [sic], harassment and now hacks as well," Rebelzize says on Twitter. "These have become such a normal part of what started as a hobby."

"People have no idea how much time and effort goes into this project. And then on top, you have to deal with this s**t. I have a full-time job too, you know. It's hard enough juggling what's basically two full-time jobs."

This is an incredibly depressing thought that creators and passionate The Elder Scrolls fans have had to suffer for merely trying to add to a game's playability - but it gets worse still.

Skyblivion has been hacked

On top of the grief that the team has received, it turns out that Rebelzize has been trying to recoup after having their personal Discord account hacked.

"My account got hacked and they [the hackers] are now attacking and removing anything Skyblivion related," they have said. "My life's work is being ripped apart and every minute counts." Still, the Skyblivion team remains loyal to the cause of getting the fantasy epic out. 

Thankfully they were able to rope their account back with only "bits and bobs" missing, but it's still something that they shouldn't have to deal with whatsoever. All of this is likely to push back the Skyblivion release date, so we don't know why trolls would sabotage like this. We don't deserve modders.