The creator of the popular Total War: Warhammer 3 overhaul mod SFO: Grimhammer III has deliberately corrupted the mod's files to protest against unauthorized reuploads that utilize AI. Venris, the lead modder, stated in a Patreon post that this action is intended to prevent the mod from functioning with these unauthorized versions and to regain control over its distribution.
Venris expressed frustration with the increasing number of unauthorized uploads, particularly those incorporating AI, and stated a clear stance: "Support modders, not AI." They emphasized that SFO: Grimhammer III is the product of nearly a decade of work and that they do not permit unauthorized use of their creations, especially for AI-related purposes. Venris has threatened to make the mod private if the situation does not improve, though they confirmed it would not be paywalled and future updates would be released on Steam as usual.
SFO: Grimhammer aims to enhance the lore-friendliness and entertainment value of Total War: Warhammer games by adjusting combat mechanics, battle durations, and introducing new abilities. The mod is regularly updated, with its most recent update prior to this incident being named "Call of Bretonnia."
This situation highlights ongoing tensions within the modding community regarding the use of AI and the unauthorized distribution of community-created content. While SFO mods are primarily hosted on the Steam Workshop, other modding platforms like Nexus Mods have begun to implement stricter policies for tagging mods created with generative AI, aiming for more specific search filtering.