Infamous Yet Popular Doom Mod Removed from Official Collection for Political Reasons
The popular, albeit controversial Thatcher's Techbase mod for Doom II was available for console players to download for a while. However, Bethesda removed the project from the official modification browser due to its political nature.
Last month, PC, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5 saw the release of a production titled DOOM + DOOM II, which is a collection containing the first two installments of id Software's FPS series. An interesting feature of this release is the ability to install mods, allowing console players to finally check out many of the classic modifications to the series.
- One such fan project has caught the ire of Bethesda studio. The modification in question is Thatcher's Techbase, in which we have to eliminate the titular former British Prime Minister, who rose from the dead.
- Initially, Thatcher's Techbase could be installed from DOOM + DOOM II. However, a few days ago Bethesda blocked it. The political nature of the project was cited as the reason. Interestingly, it was emphasized that it did not break any publisher's rules at all, but it was kicked out of the official mod browser anyway.
- Yesterday, the modification was uploaded to Bethesda's servers once again using an alternative account. So we'll see if this version will also be removed.
Thatcher's Techbase tells the story of the demonic Baroness Thatcher, who comes back to life and becomes a threat to humanity. In order to stop her, the player must travel to the tenth circle of hell, i.e. Great Britain, and launch an assault on the former prime minister's stronghold.
The project offers a sizable set of maps with many new graphical elements, as well as supports multiplayer gameplay in deathmatch and co-op modes. The music was composed by Barry “Epoch” Topping, known from Paradise Killer, and one of the roles was played by Laila Berzins, whose voice can be heard in such games as Genshin Impact and the Hades series.
Bethesda's removal of the mod seems a strange move. After all, the project is clearly satirical. In the UK, many people still have a hatred for Margaret Thatcher, and making fun of her is something encountered quite often.
Of course, it should be added that on PC you can simply download this mod manually, without using the official browser. Only on consoles is it the only way to play with modifications.
