Building an AI Mod Tool for Minecraft and Facing the Backlash

A handful of months ago, I built a prototype: an AI-powered tool that allows anyone, regardless of technical background, to create game mods and plugins using natural language. I called it Creator Hub, and I designed it as a companion to Player Games, the game server hosting company I've been building.

Hosting has always been my North Star. I love infrastructure work. That's probably great for a hobby, arguably problematic for a business, but it's honest, and it's mine.

What I didn't anticipate was the reaction when I released Creator Hub to the world.

You Either Love It or Hate It

There's no middle ground. In my experience so far, every person who encounters this tool lands firmly in one camp or the other.

I started within the Cobblemon community. It seemed like a natural fit: server owners who wanted to build unique experiences for their players but didn't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to hire a developer. I thought this would resonate.

It did. Just not in the way I expected.

Within private, invite-only Discord servers, the response from certain community members and staff was... profound. Some people reached out directly to support me, including a handful who'd been early testers on the project. They saw the vision.

Others were vehemently opposed. There was unauthorized penetration testing. There were conversations about taking down the system. Planning. Ideation.

Let's just say it wasn't what I anticipated.

The Old Guard and the Erosion of Moats

I've always considered myself a champion of feedback, and I listened to as much as people were willing to give. Most of it wasn't constructive, just variations on "shut it down, you're doing something terrible."

I don't see it that way.

We're entering a new era. Language models are becoming more capable by the month. The comprehension gap is closing. And the protective moat that skilled developers had built around game modification? Tools like Creator Hub represent the biggest threat to that barrier in decades.

People fear what they don't understand. I can't blame them entirely. There's a meaningful difference between using a coding assistant inside your IDE and deploying a purpose-built agentic system designed to empower non-technical users. The latter changes who gets to create. That's uncomfortable for those who've built their identity around being the gatekeepers.

For context: I started developing Minecraft mods in late 2010, during the hMod era, before Bukkit even existed. I've been in this space for fifteen years. I know what's at stake, and I know what's possible.

Growth Despite Resistance

Despite the friction, people are using the product. They're excited about it. They're coming back.

We're approaching a thousand mods generated. Those mods are being published to established platforms like Modrinth, Builtbybit, and Spigot. They're running on servers with a hundred players. They're powering experiences for small private groups and streamers alike. Fabric quickly became our most popular category, overtaking Cobblemon as we expanded.

Our marketing has been minimal, mostly strategic outreach to server owners, yet we're indexing higher on search engines every week. We're appearing in ChatGPT and Gemini responses now. In the last seven days alone, we're up nearly 99% in users. Most activity clusters around weekends, Friday through Sunday, when people have time to create.

Our support community has grown organically, with advocates who've championed us from the beginning, often privately given the climate. We've tried to reach out appropriately, but obstacles appear at every corner. The old guard is shielding Java Edition with everything they have.

The Gap Between V1 and V2

We're still in our infancy. But if you could see the difference between version one of our product and version two, what's live today, you'd understand how quickly this is evolving. The improvement is material. Absolutely material.

Where We Go From Here

Let it be known: we're not going anywhere. This product isn't shutting down. The resistance doesn't discourage me. It fuels me.

I'm driven by impact over profit. I'll keep building.

Naysayers are welcome. They often bring the best feedback. But I'd ask this: make it constructive. Tell me what concerns you. Tell me how we could do better. Don't just tear things down because they threaten the status quo.

To those who've supported us, thank you. To those who haven't, the door remains open.

And to the Cobblemon staff specifically: I cannot overstate my disappointment.

We're coming around to a broader vision now. Not just enabling server owners, but empowering players themselves to build the experiences they imagine. The technology is ready. The community is forming. The only question is who chooses to be part of it.

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*December 13, 2025*