Since the release of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim in 2011, the game has inspired one of the largest and most active modding communities in the history of video games. Countless enthusiasts have created mods ranging from quality-of-life changes that make the game easier to play, to detailed graphical and content additions that transform its fantasy world completely. Then, in December 2024, more than a decade after its release, a modder gave us the most important update to the game that we might ever get: rats.
That’s it. It’s just rats.
This mod from MihailMods on NexusMods is called “Sewer Rats” and it adds rodents to cities in the game. So if you’re wandering around a town like Whiterun, you might see a large rat scurry across the path. If you’re not a fan of vermin, well I have good news: You can even kill the creature and it’ll drop loot, just like other enemies in the game. You can view a video of the mod in action below.
It’s honestly a very high-quality mod given it’s all about rats. You won’t find the creatures outside of town, because that’s how pests work. Also, the rats have audio files so you can hear them chirp. It’s part of a larger series of mods called The Mihail Monsters and Animals, with Mihail aiming to create “the most complete set of creatures” for Skyrim with “respect to the pillars of lore.”
“Instead of pathetically just throwing models and textures in the game reusing 100% vanilla mechanics, the creatures made by Mihail have uniqueness and extreme zeal in their idealization and implementation, which will provide you with an experience that you have never had before in this area,” Mihail said on the mod’s page on NexusMods.
So if you’d like to kick your level of immersion and worldbuilding in Skyrim up a step, you can download the mod for free on NexusMods now. The creator just asks that if you like it, give the mod an endorsement on the page so people know it’s worth grabbing.
The post The best way to make Skyrim more realistic? Rats appeared first on Polygon.
