Heaven lost an angel. Hell lost a politician. Bethesda’s new mod database for Doom & Doom II lost an iconic mod. Bethesda has pulled Thatcher’s Techbase, a Doom mod that sends players to hell to fight Margaret Thatcher, from the mod store for its newly released Doom & Doom II ports.

Mods have been part of the Doom experience since its release in 1993. Enthusiasts and gamers mixed and remixed Doom and Doom II, created their own maps, uploaded their own art assets, and re-designed the game. In August Bethesda released an enhanced edition of Doom I & Doom II that included access to a user-curated database full of mods.

What was once only available to PC players looking to brave the depths of WASD-sharing sites was now available to all. For the first time, players running Doom & Doom II on a Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 5 could enjoy MyHouse.WAD or any number of iconic mods.

Bad news everyone 😔 pic.twitter.com/nsBE55gRW9 — Jim () August 30, 2024

Thatcher’s Techbase was one such mod. The comedic overhaul of Doom includes five new levels, a soundtrack from Paradise Killer composer Barry Topping, and deceased PM Margaret Thatcher vamping as a Baron of Hell. But now, according to the mod’s creator Jim Purvis, Bethesda has pulled Thatcher’s Techbase from its listings because of politics.

“Bad news everyone,” Purvis said in a post on X alongside a screenshot from a Bethesda support ticket. “The Creation Thatcher’s Techbase has been reported from real-world politics and has been removed. As a result, this account is receiving an official educational notice.”

It’s there in black and white under the mod guidelines on the Bethesda website: “Do not upload mods that feature real world religious/ political content.”

Still, the mod list is full of other creations—some of them ancient and well-known among the Doom community—that violate this and other rules on the list. “Do not upload mods using third-party content (licensed properties, content from other games, and other trademarked properties).”

The second mod on the list is Ultimate Simpsons Doom, a total conversion mod that replaces much of the game’s art and sound assets with stuff from the long-running animated sitcom. There are hundreds of other remixes and mashups like this, including mods that use Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Bethesda isn’t exactly running a tight ship over there and, judging by a lot of the stuff I saw, it’s only taking things down if someone reports them. Hell, Thatcher’s Techbase is still there if you scroll far enough. It even has a picture of socialist British MP Jeremy Corbyn posing next to an arcade version of the game.

©Image via ‘Doom & Doom II Enhanced Edition’

Thatcher’s Techbase won’t cease to exist because Bethesda removed one iteration from its store. The Doom mod scene is ancient, robust, and seeded across the internet. Anyone who wants the game, or any number of other controversial Doom mods, can easily find and install it.

But Bethesda removing the mod at all is a reminder of what we trade when corporations take over the distribution of stuff like mods. It’s easier than ever to experience the best of what the Doom community has been offering for decades… as long as Bethesda likes what’s on offer.

Bethesda did not respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment.