"Information is ammunition." - Major Adam Steiner, 1st Somerset Strikers
It is not the intent of this project page to rob hardworking modders of moral support or donations. Please support the modding community however you can! Like/Subscribe/Endorse if you enjoy their efforts! You can learn how to support the authors of your favorite mods in the links provided below.
Note that the majority of the mods listed below are recommended with the intent of running a better Co-op campaign while also trying to avoid mods that may run into severe compatibility issues. If some of your favorites are missing, that is probably why. That being said, many of the suggested mods below also have value in solo games. Feel free to mix and match as you please. Any known compatibility issues have been listed. I have also included a few utility mods that should help fix mod load orders or any savefile issues.
In case you missed it, the filepath for manually installing individual mods is the following (using Steam as an example):
...\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\MechWarrior 5 Mercenaries\MW5Mercs\Mods
It should be mentioned that while some mods are client-side only and won't care if your Co-op friends have them installed (ex. audio & HUD mods), others won't work unless everyone has the mod installed (ex. Coyote's Missions & vonBiomes). When in doubt, it's best to have the same mods enabled as your friends. This is easy to manage with the listed Load Order Manager (you can even make presets).
However, if you run into trouble trying to get everything on this page to work, a pre-built mod pack is available (by request) at our forums:
https://www.theskjaldborg.com (ask for MagnusEffect)
If you plan to run your own Co-op campaign I highly recommend getting both the Save Editor and Load Order Manager (see Core Recommended Mods for details). Finally, If you want to GM a Co-op campaign, everything you need to know can be found in the other tabs of this project page.
For MW5 specifically, your best source for mods is probably the Nexus. They are an established website that hosts over 250,000 files for over 1,000 games from over 100,000 authors serving over 23 MILLION members with over FOUR BILLION downloads to date. They support modding for all PC games.
If you can mod it, they can host it.
All of these are intended to "enhance" rather than fundamentally change the vanilla experience and should be generally safe to use without incident.
Adds a ton of customization to pilots that greatly improves the RP experience (in Co-op, can only be editted by lobby host).
Adds convenience by removing hard-set drop limits in exchange for a fee. Adjustable in-game with "Mod Options" mod.
A utility program that makes it much easier to manage mods and helps control load order issues. Highly recommended!
Updates both friendly & enemy AI to perform better in combat. New behaviors and logic make them far more capable.
A near-essential tool for Co-op that brings real incentive for joining another player's game. Get paid for your assistance!
Adds better contrast between major vs minor repairs and allows for armor repairs during Multi-mission contracts.
Another utility program; allows you to edit funds, add/remove equipment , adjust pilot stats, and other useful tools.
Allows the host of Co-op games to grant joining players limited access to other tabs in the Hangar Bay between missions.
Doubles the variety of randomly generated missions. Greatly improves replay value by adding more mission types & objectives.
Not just for immersion, this adds a lot of additional functionality to the cockpit UI. Adjustable in-game with "Mod Options" mod.
Mechs will no longer lose your hard-earned traits when placed in Cold-Storage. Adjustable in-game with "Mod Options" mod.
Spend less time and money skipping around the universe; increases the number of contracts available per system.
Returns engine-equipped Double Heat Sinks to full functionality (better, as they should be) based on official franchise sourcebooks.
Improves UI by showing hidden upgrades on individual Mechs (ex. XL Engine); helps identify valuable Mechs at a glance.
A simple, but elegant fix for the UI on the Starmap. Allows you to find work for specific factions at a glance; much faster than before!
Improves FPS stability by optimizing a lot of files "under-the-hood"; can make a big difference for some people.
Mods that are less essential, but are great for enhancing the immersive experience.
A post-processing preset designed to give you better visuals. Requires installing Reshade to work correctly.
Mods that add some optional, but nice features.
Advanced Zoom - improves zoom functionality. Recommend using more stable "Simple Zoom" version. Adjustable in-game with "Mod Options" mod.
Cockpit Glass - a simple mod that renders glass better with weather effects (ie. raindrops/snowdrops); a small, but readily noticeable addition.
Compass Headings - adds headings in degrees to the HUD compass; makes it easier to more quickly identify directions of threats. Great for Co-op!
Enable Infantry - as of this writing, this is the only "official mod" released from Piranha Games. Adds squishy infantry combatants; fun to shoot at!
Expanded Hardpoints - allows for some reasonable additional customization to mech loadouts by allowing hardpoints to mount one size larger weapons.
Infantry Tweaks - removes the ugly glow of those poor infantry and increases their number and aggression. Enjoy your bloodbath, you monster.
NOTE - requires "Enable Infantry" mod; comes in three degrees of severity; may cause fps performance drops for older machines.
Max Potential - gives hired pilots the same potential to max out skills as main player's character. Great for Co-op! Pick one of two versions provided.
Mod Options - allows certain mod settings to be adjusted in game in the options menu. Works for the following mods:
Advanced Zoom, Drop Fees, Heads-Up Display, Purchase Salvage, Repair Bays, Restore Traits
Purchase Salvage - allows you to purchase post-mission salvage at a premium cost. Can be adjusted in-game with "Mod Options" mod.
Reasonable Reputation Rewards - gain extra faction reputation by sacrificing negotiation shares and/or balances reputation gain/loss.
NOTE - has some limited compatibility issues with "Max Potential" & "330's Pilot Overhaul". See MW5 Load Order Manager for details.
Repair Bays - adds configurable repair bays to larger garrisons in generated missions. Can be adjusted in-game with "Mod Options" mod.
NOTE - In Co-op missions, Repair Bay behaviors will follow host player's config settings.
Salvage Tweaks - makes small, but impactful changes that encourages disabling legs on mechs to get more post-mission salvage.
Source HD Texture - significant upgrade for textures inside and outside of the Mech. Pretty, but may cause FPS issues for older machines.
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PATCHES:
MW5 Mod Compatibility Pack - needed for the following specific mods: MercTech.
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MODS UNDER CONSTRUCTION (not considered safe to use yet)
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REGARDING OVERHAUL MODS: Generally speaking, overhaul mods change a lot of the core mechanics to the vanilla MW5 experience. These are a great way to keep the game feeling fresh after the vanilla experience starts to get dull. While some mods listed above may work okay alongside these, others may not depending on what they change and their load order. Always check associated descriptions and discussion threads for details regarding possible compatibility issues if you intend to use additional mods. You may also have some luck asking for help (nicely) on the MW5 Discord.
Results may vary.
A complete overhaul of the game that aims to merge MW5 gameplay with deeper game mechanics from the original source material, Battletech (requires Compatibility Pack).