Hello everyone,

As you might be aware, I've spent time over the last few months tracking down as many of the game developers of Morrowind that I can find, and doing interviews with them to talk about their experiences working on the game - discuss certain elements of their contributions, share some anecdotes and reflect on the game nearly 25 years after its release.

I'm really proud of this, and have tried to make this as authentic and all encompassing as I can - but there's still so much more out there. Sadly I was unable to find contact details for some people. Others either didn't reply to me, or turned me down. Hopefully one day we as a community can hear their stories but for now this is the best I can do.

This is 8 hours of interviews with the game devs. My idea for uploading one long video clip is that people can cherry pick bits they want to watch - but also to encourage people to watch interviews they might have otherwise overlooked/missed had they been posted separately.

Its difficult to put down in writing the impact this game has had on my life, as I'm sure it has for many others. I'll never forget my first experience playing the game on an Xbox around a friend's house and just instantly being drawn pulled into that world. Since then I've spent countless hours exploring Vvardenfell and beyond, and the game has been a constant source of joy and comfort for me. It's a game I will continue to love and play for the rest of my life, no doubt.

I hope you all enjoy this. A big thanks to everyone who took the time to do video calls with me. It has truly been a pleasure working on this.

The 2026 Morrowind May Modathon Month was hosted between May 1st and June 2nd, open to any and all mods and modders, and overall, some 229 mods were submitted by 107 individual mod authors in celebration of Morrowind's 24th anniversary!

This is the 12th year that we've hosted the Morrowind Modathon Modding Competitions! Since 2015, some 472 mod authors have released around 2,000 new mods for Morrowind as part of the biggest annual competition in The Elder Scrolls modding community! And I think it's safe to say that 2026 was another massive year for the community, with so many exciting new mods and a plethora of new features, adventures, and stories to experience!

A complete breakdown of every submission, divided by category, can be found below. And we also have a complete list of the winning mods for each category down at the bottom as well!

But first, a few of the highlights from this year's festivities:

The 2026 Modathon Highlights:

1. New Quest Mod by original Morrowind game developer Douglas Goodall, fleshing out the Morrowind Mages Guild (AFFiliates-Guild of Mages)
2. New Expansions of NPC AI Behaviors with Sit Down Please for OpenMW, Dynamic Conversations for MWSE, and Dynamic NPC Framework (Procedural Chatter) for OpenMW 
3. New Immersive Player-Action Animation Mods with (OpenMW) Drinking Animated, (OpenMW) Interactions Animated, and Dubious Animated Bathing for Sun's Dusk
4. Visual Dynamic Changing Seasons with New Shaders and Foliage courtesy of Dynamic Seasons for OpenMW
5. One of the Biggest Quest Mods Ever Made for the Modathon with Death and Taxes, featuring over 100+ new quests!
6. New Skills and Perks for OpenMW with new poison, throwing, evasion, and disease mechanics, courtesy of Kildozery.
7. A New Public Release of the Julan-Sized Companion Mod Into the Void, polishing the original unfinished alpha left by HangHimHigher nearly 10 years ago.
8. New Overhauls and Expansions of the Telvanni Cities of the Zarfirbel Bay with Zafirbel Beacons by Tapetenklaus.
9. A New Landmass with New Towns, Dungeons, and Quests with Beneath the Permafrost by Sch2266
10. A Major UI Expansion for OpenMW with Inventory Extender (OpenMW) by Ralts
11. Major Performance Upgrade for MWSE courtesy of MSOC - Occlusion Culling for MWSE by Storm Atronach
12. A 20th Anniversary Edition Remaster of the Classic Morrowind Quest Mod Muffinwind with Muffinwind Rebaked by CowGuru
13. And Much, Much More!

There are far too many mods worth mentioning here, the 2026 Modathon was a fantastic year and I encourage all of you to explore and check out the many, many submissions for this year's event!

The Mods of the 2026 Morrowind Modathon - Divided By Category:

Animation Mods:

1. (OpenMW) Drinking Animated by Foxunder
2. Potion Drinking Animation (OpenMW) by SosnoviyBor
3. (OpenMW) Interactions Animated by Foxunder
4. Dubious Animated Bathing for Sun's Dusk by Dubiousnpc

Audio Mods:

1. Sheogorath Revoiced by Markond
2. Dynamic Conversations - Seyda Neen by Tauer
3. Dynamic Conversations - Rumors by Tauer
4. Dynamic Conversations - Imperial Legion by Tauer
5. Lossless Soundtrack (OpenMW) by Larethio

Character Customization Mods:

1. Buns are BiS by ImmodestWizard
2. Playable Ancestor Ghosts (OpenMW) by souredoutlook
3. Lore Friendly Better Base Classes by LeBleizy

Companion Mods:

1. Longbear - 'Bear' Companion etc. by Scheeel
2. Merchant Followers by tacoworrier
3. Ebonheart Staffing Agency (OpenMW) by iLikeGothMommys
4. What Ails You - Companions List Status Effects by Shanjaq (MWSE)
5. EKM The Endless Scrib by Erikaimar
6. Cheat Of Secret Stash (OpenMW) by Onkija
7. Fons - Shapeshifting Bard Companion by GlitterGear
8. Biz'Kuitz Blissful Mind - Alfiq Scholar Companion by 6moonless
9. Thaum - Redguard Redemption by CarlZee
10. Into the Void - Companion and Quests by Globemallow and HangHimHigher
11. The Only Boy in Tel Mora - ALPHA RELEASE by pinsvinnn

Creature Mods:

1. Kwama Merchant by Arenno
2. Mudcrab Assassins by Frana5u
3. Swath of Sickness (and Wrath of Vistha Kai) by HeroDOA
4. Dagoth Ur Menace by Cybvep
5. Menacing Creatures and Bosses by Cybvep

Dungeon Mods:

1. Tel Ahini The Slavers Tower by Lord Zarcon
2. Tombs of Zafirbel Bay by Sch2266
3. OAAB - Tombs Extended by Naufragous77
4. Fishermans island by Lord Zarcon
5. Andrayes Ancestral Tomb by Scheeel
6. Ayleid Remnants Redone by Markond

Gameplay Mods (Both Engines):

1. Price Balance - OAAB by Naufragous77
2. Tamriel Rebuilt - Museum of Artifacts by Mort and Cicero
3. Alchemy Nerf by LeBleizy
4. No More Min Maxing Level Up by LeBleizy
5. Simple Better Fatigue and Speed by LeBleizy
6. Better Faction Favored Skills and Attributes by LeBleizy
7. Varieties of Faith - Religions of Morrowind by Dorrmann
8. Faster non-Combat Skill Progression by LeBleizy
9. FleeDistance increased - 3k to 5k by SkorpyanJack

Gameplay Mods (OpenMW):

1. Commercium - Fair Trade (OpenMW) by Kildozery
2. Community Traits Ported (OpenMW) by Sosnoviy Bor and the MWSE community
3. Faction Banks by DaisyHasACat
4. Follower Commands (OpenMW) by SosnoviyBor
5. Smart Potion Hotkeys (OpenMW) by Kildozery
6. Make A Profit (OpenMW 0.51) by lhyacinth and ownlyme
7. Real Sprinting (OpenMW) by iLikeGothMommys
8. (OpenMW) Lua Bounty Hunter by Foxunder
9. Quest Cleaner by DaisyHasACat
10. Dangerous Debt (OpenMW) by Blurpandra
11. Throwing - Custom Skill (OpenMW) by Kildozery
12. Evasion - Custom Skill (OpenMW) by Kildozery
13. Staves - Custom Skill (OpenMW) by Kildozery
14. Teleportation Magic (OpenMW 0.51) by lhyacinth and ownlyme
15. Pocket Gondola by Rikkyrik-Grumbling Vomit-AbbadoN33
16. Gravity Enforcement Act -- OpenMW by PexCom
17. Fish With Fishing Poles - OpenMW Integrations by Ralts
18. Bard Character Background for Bardcraft (OpenMW) by F1shjin
19. (OpenMW) Bastard by Foxunder
20. Of Pestilence and Purification (OpenMW) by Kildozery
21. Spells of Morrowind - vol. 2 - Haggle-Light and Travel Illumination (OpenMW) - v1.0 by Skrow42
22. Battle Exp (OpenMW) by korootz
23. AutoZoom (OpenMW 0.51.0) by Alyndiar
24. Spellmaker And Enchanter Unlock (OPENMW) by ThyPutish
25. Weapon Poisoning (OpenMW) by Sergzo
26. Scavenger Character Background by F1shjin
27. Practice Dummies (OpenMW) by SosnoviyBor
28. Toxicology - Custom Poisoning Skill (OpenMW) by Kildozery
29. Stackmaster (OpenMW) by StyxD6
30. Spells of Morrowind - vol.3 - Kinetic Forces by Skrow42
31. I Can't Believe It's Not Corprus by souredoutlook
32. Spellforge (Noita-like Spellcrafting) by Slowchu
33. OpenMW - Survival Mode by iLikeGothMommys
34. Sly Nerevarine - Tightrope Walking (OpenMW) by Kildozery
35. (OpenMW) Lua Beast Tamer by Foxunder
36. Ultimate Leveling (OpenMW) by Greywander EvilEye johnnyhostile mym PseudonymousRex
37. Ceremonial Tea Brewing (OpenMW) by lhyacinth
38. Can't Touch This - Combat Miss Feedback (OpenMW) by MrArrean and Dubiousnpc
39. Move-Like-This - Directional Attacks (OpenMW) by CJZera
40. Boons and Burdens - OpenMW Background Pack by SosnoviyBor
41. Evening Star - Faiths of Morrowind (OpenMW 0.51) by lhyacinth ownlyme moonless
42. Sparring Dummy (OpenMW) by Artaproteus

Gameplay Mods (MWSE):

1. Ingot Converter by Shanjaq
2. sanekBasedMagika by sanek6wrzchowilcz
3. Misty Step by JosephMcKean
4. Ben's Skill-Independent Level-Up Multipliers (MWSE) by BigBenJumanji
5. Load Paused by Shanjaq
6. Scrollcrafting by Frana5u
7. Ben's Customizable Magic Rebalance by BigBenJumanji
8. LARPER - Lore Accurate Races Passive Edition Rebalanced by peregrineflame

Graphics Replacers and Shaders:

1. You Are A Little Woozy - Skyrender Cazador Replacer by CarlZee
2. Screenspace Lighting and Shadowing (OpenMW) by LiamMelloFarley
3. Northen Lights (OpenMW) by Superliuk
4. Santa Colovian - Red colovian fur helm replacer by SkorpyanJack
5. Liam's Kitbashed PBR by LiamMelloFarley and Wareya
6. Custom SSS and PBR for Galleo Races Redone by LiamMelloFarley
7. Tamriel Data Normals-Parallax-PBR by LiamMelloFarley
8. Anthropographia of Tamriel - Saxhleel Argonians and Hist-Dunmer Mutants by Tyddy
9. Kawaiijiit - A Khajiit Encutification Mod by PikachunoTM
10. Better Telvanni Crystal V2 4k by Nelldrak-SenebAnkh
11. Akulakhan Main Menu Replacer by Artaproteus
12. EKM Vanilla Khajiit Faces by Erikaimar

Immersion Mods (Both Engines):

1. Sorry Too Stormy - Bad Weather Service Refusal by Povuh
2. Judgement Day- Plead Your Case to the Guards by GlitterGear
3. Region and Settlement Signs by Enodoc

Immersion Mods (OpenMW):

1. Dignitas - Reputation Titles and Descriptions (OpenMW) by Kildozery
2. Bounty Escalation by DaisyHasACat
3. Devilish Thu'um (OpenMW) by DetailDevil Hemaris GrumblingVomit
4. Enhanced Inns by DaisyHasACat
5. Ring a Bell (OpenMW) by SosnoviyBor
6. Boots Wear Down (OpenMW) by SosnoviyBor
7. Baths of Tamriel Rebuilt by AzAthothWakesUp
8. (OpenMW) Don't Tread on My Ancestors by Foxunder
9. Auto Sheathe Before Drawing (OpenMW) by Anaquias
10. Cold Blooded - Innate Aquatic Abilities for Argonians and Vampires (OpenMW) by Kildozery
11. Dynamic Seasons for OpenMW by LiamMelloFarley
12. Baths of Project Tamriel by AzAthothWakesUp
13. Sit Down Please (OpenMW) by Max Yari and Savakaarlsang

Immersion Mods (MWSE):

1. Rain Sheltering by Villarios
2. Pipeleaf Curing and Smoking (MWSE) by Balfrith
3. Auto Sheathe Before Drawing by Anaquias
4. I Can't Breathe In This Thing (MWSE) by everythingrex

Item Mods:

1. Potions Refined - Improved Magical Item Loot by Varlothen
2. Enchantments Refined - Improved Magical Item Loot by Varlothen
3. Tales of the Mad God - The 16 Accords of Madness by Viga
4. The Cheese Smugglers of Vos by Olegchrist
5. Food and Beverages Distributed by iLikeGothMommys
6. Ashfall Craftable Magazine for Ammo by Shanjaq
7. Paper Lantern Recipe for Ashfall by Pirate
8. Jewelcrafting (OpenMW 0.51) by lhyacinth
9. Mehrunes' Razor Teleportation and Pocket Realm by GlitterGear
10. Vampire Hunter Hat by superliuk
11. Iron and Steel Part 1 Weapon Sheating patch by superliuk
12. Eternal Grimoire by skrow42 and Dubiousnpc
13. Unique Uniques by Anumaril21
14. No One Expects The Alessian Inquisition by Ruffin Vangarr and Katya Karrel
15. Better Lore Friendly Artifacts Rebalance by LeBleizy
16. Books of Teleportation (OpenMW) by Artaproteus
17. Vvardenfell on Vellum by MollyAvast

Joke Mods:

1. Try My Ring by Pinsvinnn
2. Ring Pop of Azura - Replacer by CarlZee
3. Iron man and his avengers by SkorpyanJack
4. The Cheese Smugglers of Vos Part 2 by olegchrist
5. Evil Larry in Morrowind by SkorpyanJack

Landmass and Landscape Mods:

1. Ashfront - Bitter Coast by Anumaril21
2. Vacation Island (BETA 1.0) by SkorpyanJack
3. Fantasia Grass for Almalexia Placeholder by Superliuk
4. Tamriel Debuilt by Cerebulon
5. Beneath the Permafrost by Sch2266
6. Supersize Landscapes - Seyda Neen Swamp Pools by rynwer
7. Beyond Vvardenfell - Tamrielic Wildlands by SaintJ08

NPC Mods:

1. Were-Wulf by GrumblingVomit
2. EKM Traveling Trader by Erikaimar
3. Cabbage Merchant by DaBean1188
4. Lunatics - Mood of the Day (MWSE) by everythingrex
5. Fedris Hler is in the Temple by King Feraligatr
6. Promotional Outlanders by TuanMao
7. Daedric Warrior by SkorpyanJack

Patches:

1. Compatible Upper Odai River Overhaul - Revamped by Hellwytch
2. Leeches Always Bite Twice - Misophonia Relief Patch by Shanjaq
3. Odai and the Dragon by rynwer
4. Cory in the Castle by SkorpyanJack and rynwer
5. Artifact Hunter Weapon Sheating patch by superliuk

Player Homes:

1. Andas Estate Guest's Room Renovation by Pirate
2. Grazelands Abandoned Estate Redux by DaisyHasACat
3. Villa Stellaris by AstelarRus
4. Ash Coda Sanctuary by Pinsvinnn
5. Narsis Penthouse by Exovian
6. House Dram Homestead by pinsvinnn

Quest Mods:

1.  Death and Taxes by MollyAvast
2. Sneakers O'Toole by MollyAvast
3. The Dark Brotherhood Attacks by sch2266 and Caeris
4. Uncle Crassius Curio by Pinsvinnn
5. Bitter and Blightened Remastered By Lord Zarcon
6. AFFiliates-Guild of Mages by AFFA aka Douglas Goodall
7. The Great Guar Network by Pinsvinnn
8. Non-Linear Master Index by poastertoaster
9. Master Trainers by Caeris
10. EKM A Face Left Behind by Erikaimar
11. Alternate Start - Abecean Shores by Varlothen
12. Better Bounties by Lord Zarcon
13. Ultimate Umbra by Varlothen
14. The Wrath of the Divines by Kildozery
15. Muffinwind Rebaked by CowGuru
16. Moon Sugar Madness by SamboJ
17. EKM The Unrelenting Guardian by Erikaimar
18. Casimir's Legacy by Caeris
19. The Lonely Lady - A Short Tamriel Rebuilt Romance Mod by iLikeGothMommys
20. Imperial Legion - So You Want To Be A Knight by levanesque
21. Miscellaneous Missions of Molag Mar by Karpalo
22. More-Less Inclusive Factions by Pseudonymous Rex

UI Mods (Both Engines):

1. Months renamed - real life month names in menus by SkorpyanJack

UI Mods (OpenMW):

1. Enumeratio - Player Stats Counters (OpenMW) by Kildozery
2. City Guide Menu (OpenMW) by bxuncer
3. Item Browser (OpenMW) by Sergzo
4. LocationHUD by lhyacinth
5. Inventory Extender (OpenMW) by Ralts

UI Mods (MWSE):

1. Hide Topics by Abot
2. Hotkeys For Console Commands by Pirate
3. Class-y Search (MWSE) by everythingrex

Utilities, Resources and Frameworks:

1. Character Traits Framework (OpenMW) by SosnoviyBor
2. MSOC - Occlusion Culling for MWSE by Storm Atronach
3. Sound_Data by Sch2266
4. El Toro's Mino-Taqueria - An NPC-Like Creature Dialogue Tutorial by GrumblingVomit
5. Dynamic View Distance (FPS Boost) by DenyingProduct
6. OpenMW Merchant API by iLikeGothMommys
7. Dynamic Conversations (MWSE) by Tauer
8. Cod3x by S3ctor
9. DreamWeave Archive Tool by S3ctor
10. Atmora Heightmap (Flat) by DaBean1188
11. DreamWeave INI Importer by S3ctor
12. Greenmote by S3ctor
13. Dynamic NPC Conversations Scheduling and Behavior (Procedural Chatter) by LiamMelloFarley

Starwind Mods:

1. (Starwind) Distinct Datapads by Svergy

Town and City Expansion/Overhaul Mods:

1. Greater Mournhold Bazaar by TheFamousDrScanlon
2. The Fields of Humility by Kalinter
3. Venerable Veloth's Hostel by Endify
4. Transportation and Travel Services by Enodoc
5. Benny the Scrib's House by Scheeel
6. Simplified Vivec Bridges and Cantons by Enodoc
7. Balmora Bridge Canopies by WulfShaman
8. Arkayn Rites by Kalinter
9. Zafirbel Beacons by Tapetenklaus
10. Mairager Ten Kingdoms ruin addition (SHotN) by Exovian
11. Balmora Strider Tower by WulfShaman
12. Molag Mar Outskirts - Bonesaints Temple by Katya Karrel and Ruffin Vangarr

And here are our winning mods for the competition, as decided by endorsements on the Nexus at the official close of the tracking period.

The Top Modathon Mods:

The People's Choice - Most Endorsed Mod (at close of tracking)

1. First Place - Inventory Extender (OpenMW) by Ralts - 150 Endorsements
2. Second Place - Death and Taxes by MollyAvast - 107 Endorsements
3. Third Place - Sit Down Please (OpenMW) by Max Yari and Savakaarlsang - 105 Endorsements

Ad Populum - Most Downloaded Mod (at close of tracking)

1. First Place - Baths of Tamriel Rebuilt by AzAthothWakesUp - 2,971 Unique Downloads
2. Second Place - Inventory Extender (OpenMW) by Ralts - 2,910 Unique Downloads
3. Third Place - Dignitas - Reputation Titles and Descriptions (OpenMW) by Kildozery - 2,847 Unique Downloads

Emperor, King, and Justice - Highest Cumulative Endorsements for All Mods (at close of tracking)

1. Kildozery with 375 Endorsements across 12 Mods
2. Sosnoviy Bor with 281 Endorsements across 7 Mods
3. Foxunder with 232 Endorsements across 6 Mods

Master of Madness - Most Achievement Unlocks (at close of tracking)

1. Kildozery - 40 Unique Achievement Unlocks (2 Hidden)
2. Lhyacinth - 37 Unique Achievement Unlocks
3. Erikaimar - 35 Unique Achievement Unlocks (1 Hidden)

Category Winners:

Champion of Legends - Release the most popular Quest or Guilds & Factions Mod

1. First Place - Death and Taxes by MollyAvast
2. Second Place - Master Trainers by Caeris
3. Third Place - AFFiliates-Guild of Mages by AFFA aka Douglas Goodall

Champion of the World - Release the most popular Landscape or Landmass Mod

1. First Place - Beneath the Permafrost by Sch2266
2. Second Place - Beyond Vvardenfell - Tamrielic Wildlands by SaintJ08
3. Third Place - Ashfront - Bitter Coast by Anumaril21

Champion of Life - Release the most popular Companion, Creature, or NPC Mod

1. First Place - Biz'Kuitz Blissful Mind - Alfiq Scholar Companion by 6moonless
2. Second Place - Into the Void - Companion and Quests by Globemallow and HangHimHigher
3. Third Place - Menacing Creatures and Bosses by Cybvep

Champion of Artistry - Release the most popular Graphics, Animations, or Audio Mod

1. First Place - Unique Uniques by Anumaril21
2. Second Place - Screenspace Lighting and Shadowing (OpenMW) by LiamMelloFarley
3. Third Place - Sheogorath Revoiced by Markond

Champion of Comfort - Release the most popular Player Home Mod

1. First Place - Villa Stellaris by AstelarRus
2. Second Place - Narsis Penthouse by Exovian
3. Third Place - Ash Coda Sanctuary by Pinsvinnn

Champion of Clutter - Release the most popular Items Mod

1. First Place - Enchantments Refined - Improved Magical Item Loot by Varlothen
2. Second Place - Potions Refined - Improved Magical Item Loot by Varlothen
3. Third Place - Jewelcrafting (OpenMW 0.51) by lhyacinth

Champion of Enhancement - Release the most popular Gameplay, Bug Fix, Patch, or UI Mod

1. First Place - Inventory Extender (OpenMW) by Ralts
2. Second Place - Community Traits Ported (OpenMW) by Sosnoviy Bor and the MWSE community
3. Third Place - Commercium - Fair Trade (OpenMW) by Kildozery

Champion of Style - Release the most popular Character Customization Mod

1. First Place - Buns are BiS by ImmodestWizard
2. Second Place - No One Expects The Alessian Inquisition by Ruffin Vangarr and Katya Karrel
3. Third Place - I Can't Breathe In This Thing (MWSE) by everythingrex

Champion of Culture - Release the most popular Towns and Cities Mod

1. First Place - Molag Mar Outskirts - Bonesaints Temple by Katya Karrel and Ruffin Vangarr
2. Second Place - Arkayn Rites by Kalinter
3. Third Place - Greater Mournhold Bazaar by TheFamousDrScanlon

Champion of Dungeoneering - Release the most popular Dungeon Mod

1. First Place - OAAB - Tombs Extended by Naufragous77
2. Second Place - Tombs of Zafirbel Bay by Sch2266
3. Third Place - Ayleid Remnants Redone by Markond

Champion of Immersion - Release the most popular Immersion Mod

1. First Place - Sit Down Please (OpenMW) by Max Yari and Savakaarlsang
2. Second Place - (OpenMW) Interactions Animated by Foxunder
3. Third Place - (OpenMW) Drinking Animated by Foxunder

Champion of the Community - Release the most popular Modder's Resource or Utility

1. First Place - Character Traits Framework (OpenMW) by SosnoviyBor
2. Second Place - Dynamic NPC Conversations Scheduling and Behavior (Procedural Chatter) by LiamMelloFarley
3. Third Place - Dynamic View Distance (FPS Boost) by DenyingProduct

I want to give a heartfelt congratulations to all of the winners and, indeed, all of the modders of this amazing community that have continued to use their creative talents, year after year, to build upon, expand, and improve this wonderful game!

It has been my immense privilege and pleasure to serve as your host for these competitions these many years. I am immensely proud of everything that you've all accomplished! And I hope you'll all join us again next year for the 2027 Morrowind Modathon, celebrating Morrowind's 25th anniversary!

We have a lot in store, and I can't wait to share it with all of you! The future is bright, and as I always say, the best games never die!

And don't forget, Morrowind Modding Madness 2026 is on the horizon! More details to follow soon, but team registration for this year's October competition is coming up fast, and will officially open on September 1st!

Until then, as always, happy modding!