Minecraft modding app ModFoundry removed from Steam store

After being approved on Steam and wishlisted over 60,000 times by Minecraft fans and mod makers, ModFoundry has been removed from the service store. One of the best parts about the software was that it allowed fans to mod the game without the need for coding knowledge. Those hoping to try it out are beside themselves at its removal from Steam's storefront.

Typically, software offered on the Steam store isn't removed after approval. However, ModFoundry inexplicably disappeared with no announcement on Steam or Valve's part, and the developers of the software are attempting to find an explanation.

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Why might Steam have removed ModFoundry for Minecraft from its storefront?

While ModFoundry was approved for several months before its abrupt removal on January 9, 2023, multiple factors could explain the software's removal.

Some players pointed out that Microsoft and Mojang are fairly particular about their intellectual property (which is debatable considering the game's many collaborations). While Minecraft is a game that has a friendly relationship with the modding community, bringing Valve's digital game storefront and launcher into the picture complicates things.

The situation is confusing since Steam allows for many different non-game programs to be downloaded from the digital storefront. Modding software is prevalent in addition to visual rendering programs and video/audio editors. With this in mind, it seems that the removal of ModFoundry is particularly atypical, especially after having already been vetted and placed on Steam.

Many users who were expecting the software's release suspected that it might have been removed due to Minecraft's dubious presence on the popular gaming platform.

Java Edition and Bedrock Edition are not made available on Steam because Mojang is owned by Microsoft. Players can only access them via the game's official site or from the Microsoft Store or Xbox Game Pass.

Steam has released Minecraft Dungeons on its storefront. However, Microsoft may have taken issue with a modding program seemingly using the game's assets being placed on a platform they didn't authorize. However, this speculation may not hold up since other Minecraft-adjacent modding programs, such as MCreator, are available for free on Steam.

The developers of ModFoundry have allegedly received permission from Microsoft/Mojang's legal teams to release the program on Steam. This further complicates the confusion surrounding ModFoundry. Similar programs have remained unscathed, and the developers have seemingly followed all the necessary rules to publish their software.

For the time being, hopefully, the developers of ModFoundry will receive an explanation for the program's removal from Steam in the coming days. Plenty of fans, Minecraft players, and prospective modders are very curious about Valve's reasoning for the removal.

Considering all the time and effort on the developers' part, ModFoundry's creators, at the very least, deserve an explanation for their hard work being sidelined.