5 games that were originally mods

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Video game modding is one of the oldest crafts in the sphere. Since game engines were not so freely available, dedicated fans would take the foundations and add their vision for content as a mod. Ever since, some developers have leaned into the modding community, with others not so fond of the idea. Many developers realized that cultivating a healthy modding community could grant their project far more longevity than they had blocked it. But some mod communities go beyond just being a new lease on life for their creations.

Some mods take on their own lives and become something far more significant, like the ones on this list.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

Valve has a long history of supporting mods - the Source Engine SDK is a well-known tool in the developer space. This wasn't a recent decision, however. Ever since the original Half-Life was released, modders were hard at work using its (at the time) modern mechanics to make their content.

One such mod, developed by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess Cliffe, was Half-Life: Counter-Strike. Featuring terrorists and counter-terrorists facing off in a fight to the death, it slowly gained traction in the gaming community until Valve bought up the rights to the series and offered the duo development jobs. From there, Counter-Strike grew into the behemoth of gaming it is today, and the rest is history.

While being another Valve title on the list, Dota 2 didn't start on Valve's Source Engine. This time, modders took Blizzard's Warcraft III, creating a mod called Defense of the Ancients. However, this time, Valve was not interested until long after the mod's creation.

Moreover, it wasn't the original creator of the mod who worked on Dota 2, either.