Staying safe
How to spot fake mod downloads, avoid malware and bans, and protect your saves. Read this before you download anything.
Popular mods attract copycats. Within days of SkyCraft and the MW2 mashup going viral, GitHub filled up with lookalike repositories, some harmless copies and some built to spread malware. Here's how to stay out of trouble.
Get mods from the official source only
- Use the Download or Source button on the project's page here. Moderators check that it points at the official repository.
- On GitHub, check the owner name in the address.
github.com/chasmlol/SkyCraftis SkyCraft;github.com/random-name/SkyCraft-Free-Downloadis not. - Prefer files from the project's Releases page over zips posted in comments, Discord DMs or video descriptions.
- Be suspicious of repositories that are brand new, have no real code, have a description stuffed with keywords ("elden ring minecraft mod free download 2026…"), or ask you to run an
.exefrom a file-sharing site.
Antivirus warnings
Many real mods trigger antivirus warnings, because injecting code into a game looks exactly like what malware does. That doesn't make every warning a false alarm.
- Never turn your antivirus off completely. If you trust the source, add an exception for that one folder only.
- Upload the file to VirusTotal first. One or two vague detections on a DLL loader is common; many detections naming a specific trojan is not.
- Windows SmartScreen ("Windows protected your PC") appears for any unsigned program. Only click More info → Run anyway for files from the official release page.
Never give out your password
No mod needs your Steam, Microsoft or Discord password. SkyCraft's Minecraft side signs in through Microsoft's own login page in Prism Launcher, which is the normal, safe way. Anything that asks you to type a password into a mod's own window is a scam.
Single-player only
Passthrough mods inject code into games. In online games with anti-cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye, Vanguard and so on) that gets accounts banned, sometimes permanently.
- Only use these mods in single-player or offline modes.
- For games like Elden Ring that have online modes, play offline, with anti-cheat disabled the way that game's modding community documents it, and never go online with mods installed.
- We don't list projects for online-only games with anti-cheat.
Protect your saves and your games
- Back up your saves before installing anything. Some mods write into your save files.
- Use a mod manager (Mod Organizer 2, Vortex, Gale, r2modman) where possible, so you can undo everything.
- Keep a copy of the game version that works. Steam updates can break version-locked mods. Some games let you choose an older version under Properties → Betas.
Report problems
If a listing here points somewhere shady, or a project turned malicious, use Report this listing on its page. Moderators can hide it within minutes, and the crawler flags suspicious repositories before they're ever listed.