--- title: "SCUM Mods in 2026: How Unofficial Mods Work on a Dedicated Server" description: "SCUM has no official mod support in 2026. Which .pak mods work on a server, where they go since hotfix 1.2.3.2, the BattlEye catch, and mod-free options." url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/scum/scum-mods/" category: "SCUM" category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/scum/" published: "2026-10-28T05:52:34.867Z" updated: "2026-10-28T05:52:34.867Z" source_format: "markdown" site: "GameServerKings" --- # SCUM Mods in 2026: How Unofficial Mods Work on a Dedicated Server SCUM has no official mod support. Gamepires said so plainly on 30 September 2026: mod support "remains part of our longer-term plans, but it won't arrive in 2026." What does exist is a community scene of unofficial `.pak` mods, mostly on Nexus Mods, that change item stats, loot and crafting. Some of them work on a dedicated server, but each one comes with conditions you need to know before you install it. This page covers what those mods are, which ones need installing on the server, which need installing by every player, the folder rule Gamepires added in May 2026, and what you can change on a SCUM server without any mods at all. > [!NOTE] Checked against SCUM 1.3.4.2 > Written on 28 October 2026 against hotfix 1.3.4.2.161892 (8 October 2026). The Halloween update is due on 28 October 2026. Unofficial mods can break with any game update, which is covered further down. ## Does SCUM Support Mods? Not officially. There's no Steam Workshop for SCUM, no mod browser in the game and no modding kit from Gamepires. In its 30 September 2026 roadmap post, the studio said it won't attach a feature to an update until it's confident it will be ready, "That includes mod support. It remains part of our longer-term plans, but it won't arrive in 2026." Unofficial mods work anyway, because SCUM is an Unreal Engine game and it loads extra `.pak` files from its `Paks` folder. Gamepires acknowledges they exist. In hotfix 1.2.3.2 (7 May 2026) the studio wrote: "We've seen your feedback about mods breaking after the latest patch, so we're putting out a quick hotfix to get them working again." It doesn't support them, though. If a mod breaks your server, Gamepires won't fix it. On 28 October 2026, Nexus Mods listed 246 SCUM mods. Most are small `.pak` files that change one thing, such as bag sizes, ammo stack sizes, drying rates, stat gains or NPC loot. ## Server-Side, Client-Side or Both This is the part most guides skip. Every SCUM `.pak` mod falls into one of three groups, and the mod's own page tells you which. Read it before you install anything. | Type | Where it goes | Typical examples on Nexus | |---|---|---| | **Server-side only** | Only on the server. Players join with a normal game | Dirtiness Rework, Drying rate increase, Overburdened Movement speed increase, Cheaper Base Building Recipes | | **Server and client** | On the server **and** on every player's PC | Hiking bags 2x, Armour Mod, Ammo Mod, Vehicle Storage Increase, Solar Panel MOD | | **Client-side only** | Only on the player's PC | Cloth Patches Remover, Noot's Minimap | The "server and client" group is the one that catches people out. In the authors' own words, from several of the most-endorsed mods: "Mod must be installed on both Server and client to work properly", and "If mod is only installed on server then only the weight changes take effect and nothing else." So a bag mod that's only on the server can leave you with lighter bags but no extra slots. Nothing tells you this in the game. ## The Folder Rule Since May 2026 Hotfix 1.2.3.2 changed where unofficial mods can go. Gamepires' wording: "Due to certain security measures, unofficial .pak files can currently only be placed in subfolders of SCUM\Content\Paks\". A `.pak` dropped straight into `Paks` next to the game's own files no longer loads. It has to go in a subfolder. Mod authors use different folder names (`~mods` and `Mods` both appear in their instructions). The name doesn't matter, as long as it's a subfolder of `Paks`. On a GameServerKings SCUM server, the game files sit under the `SCUM` folder in the server root, so the path is: ```text SCUM/Content/Paks/~mods/ ``` Create the `~mods` folder if it isn't there. ## The BattlEye Catch Many SCUM mod authors say their mods need two launch options, `-nobattleye` and `-fileopenlog`, on the game and on the server. One server-side-only mod says it "will still need to be running the -nobattleye and -fileopenlog". Other authors write that you can skip this "if just playing single player or you're private server with no battleye". So mods aren't something you add to a busy public server without thinking it through. If the author asks for BattlEye to be off, that applies to the whole server. Decide that before you install, and tell your players. **On our servers:** the SCUM startup line passes the port, query port and max players, and nothing else. There's no Startup field for extra launch options. If a mod you want needs `-nobattleye` or `-fileopenlog`, contact support before you install it. We haven't tested unofficial `.pak` mods on our SCUM servers, so we won't promise that a particular mod works. ## How to Install a Server-Side SCUM Mod 1. **Read the mod page.** Check whether the mod is server-only or server-and-client, which game version it was last updated for, and whether it needs launch options. 2. **[Take a backup](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-create-a-backup/)** of the server. Some mods change existing items. One author warns that "some of the ammo doesn't have the reduced weight" on an existing server, and another says items "change either up or down". 3. **Stop the server.** 4. **[Upload the `.pak` over SFTP](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-upload-files-via-sftp/)** into `SCUM/Content/Paks/~mods/`. Keep the file name the author gave it. Some mods' instructions depend on it. 5. **Start the server** and test the change in the game. 6. **If the mod is server-and-client**, send your players the same file and version, and tell them where it goes on their PC: `SCUM\Content\Paks\` inside their SCUM install folder, in a subfolder. To remove a mod, stop the server, delete the `.pak` and start the server again. ## After a SCUM Update Unofficial mods are built against one version of the game, and SCUM updates often: monthly updates in 2026, plus hotfixes. On our servers, **Automatic Steam Updates** is on by default, so the server installs a new SCUM build the next time it restarts. If the server won't start, or behaves oddly straight after an update: 1. Stop the server and move the `~mods` folder out of `Paks`. 2. Start the server without mods. If it starts cleanly, a mod is the cause. 3. Check each mod's page for an update, and put mods back one at a time. Keep a copy of every mod file on your own PC, so you can put the server back the way it was. ## What You Can Change Without Mods Many of the things people install mods for, you can change in SCUM's own config files. These are supported by the game, so they don't break when SCUM updates and don't need launch options: - **Loot quantity and what spawns where:** [SCUM Loot Configuration](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-loot-configuration/) - **Trader prices and stock:** [SCUM Trader Economy](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-trader-economy/) - **Server rules and multipliers in `ServerSettings.ini`:** [SCUM Server Settings](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-server-settings-ini/) - **Admins, and spawning items for players:** [SCUM admin commands](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-admin-commands/) Try these first. Use a `.pak` mod only for changes the game's settings can't make, such as bag or vehicle storage sizes. On a [GameServerKings SCUM server](/games/scum/), all of these files are in the server's file manager and over SFTP. ## FAQ ### Does SCUM have official mod support? No. Gamepires confirmed on 30 September 2026 that mod support "won't arrive in 2026". The mods that exist are unofficial `.pak` files. ### Where do SCUM mods go on a dedicated server? In a subfolder of `SCUM/Content/Paks/`, such as `SCUM/Content/Paks/~mods/`. Since hotfix 1.2.3.2 (May 2026), unofficial `.pak` files placed directly in `Paks` don't load. ### Do players need to install the mod too? It depends on the mod. Server-side-only mods don't need anything on the player's side. Many popular mods are "server and client" and only work properly when every player has the same file. The mod's own page says which. ### Why did my SCUM mods stop working after an update? Unofficial mods are built for a specific game version, and an update can break them. Gamepires released a hotfix for this in May 2026. Start the server without mods to confirm, then update or remove them one at a time. ### Can I use mods on a public SCUM server? You can, but many mods ask for BattlEye to be turned off with `-nobattleye`, which affects every player on the server. Read the mod's requirements first, and on GameServerKings contact support about launch options. ## What to Read Next - [SCUM Server Settings: How ServerSettings.ini Works](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-server-settings-ini/): the settings you can change without mods - [SCUM Loot Configuration: How to Change What Spawns](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-loot-configuration/): change loot without a `.pak` - [SCUM Trader Economy: EconomyOverride.json Explained](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-trader-economy/): trader prices and stock - [SCUM admin commands and AdminUsers.ini setup](/knowledge-base/scum/scum-admin-commands/): give yourself admin and spawn items - [How to upload files via SFTP](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-upload-files-via-sftp/): upload `.pak` files to the server --- Made with 💜 by GameServerKings