Thatcher’s Techbase is a much-loved mod for Doom 2, having amassed a strong following since its launch in 2021. Now, with the latest ports of the first two Doom games, the creator was able to share the creation on the official mod page, letting a wider audience experience the simple pleasure of sending Margaret Thatcher back to the deepest pits of hell.

However, someone had to spoil the fun for everyone and reported the mod to Bethesda. In response, the moderation team removed it from the mod page, citing a breach of its rule against “real-world politics”.

…

You may have heard about Thatcher’s teachbase a couple of years back. It made headlines after former Labour leader and current independent MP Jeremy Corbyn played the mod himself. He was said to have enjoyed his time with the game and even posed for a picture with the arcade cabinet running it. So, even if Bethesda doesn’t want the game on its mod page, at least it has that seal of approval.

…

Don’t worry, Thatcher is still dead in real life though.

edit: from over on Hexbear:

Thatcher’s Techbase documentary

Screenshots:

  • ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.net
    261·
    2 months ago

    Folks, it’s a doom mod and Bethesda removed it off their page.

    People have been modding and sharing Doom mods for 30 years. There’s lots of doom clients outside of the Bethesda one. There’s lots of ways to Mod and finding Doom mods.

    Again, this is a thirty year old game and it probably has like a handful of devs working part time to manage the Doom community. They don’t want to deal with anything that gives them shit.

    • Cethin@lemmy.zipEnglish
      8·
      2 months ago

      Yeah, I upvited the post because I think the mod sounds fun and more people seeing it seems good. I don’t agree that this is an issue though. Just go download it somewhere else. I’m sure it’s still very easy to access.

  • simple@lemm.ee
    20·
    2 months ago

    I mean fair enough honestly, if they’re going to have a hard rule to not have poltics-driven mods on their store, there shouldn’t be exceptions.

  • Hildegarde@lemmy.world
    13·
    2 months ago

    Bethesda recently re-released doom and doom 2. It added some new levels but also an official mod browser and mod library.

    It caused some major friction with doom’s modding community because there was little oversight or vetting, and nothing to check that the uploader is the mod’s creator. Many modders had their work pirated by other uploaders, posting their work without credit.

    Bethesda removed this mod from their own mod library, showing that they are at minimum, doing some sort of moderation at least. If you wish to play the thatcher mod you can still do so on any other version of doom.

  • merthyr1831@lemmy.mlEnglish
    6·
    2 months ago

    Bethesda couldn’t deal with a game more functionally complete and quality-tested on one of their platforms

    • CeruleanRuin@lemmings.worldEnglish
      3·
      2 months ago

      Yep, especially if it means they can shut out wholly independent modders who don’t even use the official storefront to distribute their mods.

  • danjoubu@lemmy.world
    72·
    2 months ago

    There’s no way Bethesda didn’t know about it prior, so all it took was for someone to complain? Three years after it was available? Such a load of shit.

    • simple@lemm.ee
      14·
      2 months ago

      The mod was made 3 years ago but Bethesda’s official mod downloader is brand new. The page they took down was very recently made.

    • CeruleanRuin@lemmings.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      It probably got some attention via one of those shitty spam blogs like Games Radar and their PR guy got wind of it.

  • CeruleanRuin@lemmings.worldEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    There is an untapped market out there for this sort of thing. I don’t need to tear apart [obnoxious media personality] with an Uzi, but it would sure be cathartic to chase them around with a metal bat and bruise them up a bit as they cry for their mommy and apologize for being such a twat on social media.

    There used to be a Flash game called Punchable Faces or something like that which was literally just that, in a very simplistic form: you’d upload an image of whoever you wanted, and as you clicked the box boxing glove icon, it would overlay bruises, bumps, and cuts.

    If ever there was a good use for AI, it would be pasting celebrity likenesses onto video game sub-bosses.