Skyrim mod ensures houses left abandoned after quests dynamically gain new occupants

Modders have put an awful lot of effort into making sure Skyrim has continually evolved and expanded in the years since it was first released into the world.

Many have focused on changing the game by adding unique weapons, revised combat mechanics or revamped quests to it. A few have even gone as far as giving your Dragonborn the chance to head to an interesting new location or fixing bugs that can lead to them being wrongly accused of crimes.

If you plan to pass the time while you wait for Starfield or Skyblivion to arrive by launching into another playthrough of Bethesda’s last great RPG, a new mod might be worth adding to your load order.

Ever wondered why some of Skyrim’s houses are left abandoned once the quests they’re involved in are done?

The mod in question is called ‘Environs - Abandoned Abodes’, and is the latest work of prolific modder Siberpunk. Many of their previous projects have revolved around making various locations throughout Skyrim, including shrines of Talos and Hroggar’s House, feel a little more alive.

This time, they’ve decided to make some similarly dynamic changes to a host of houses used in various quests throughout the game and left abandoned afterwards. This ensures that they’ll gain new occupants and a fresh coat of paint following the events of these missions.

According to Siberpunk, the fourteen NPCs that’ll now move into these residences “are relatively inconsequential but should help Skyrim’s cities feel more dynamic and interesting”.

As such, they’ve all been given their own dialogue and the ability to wander the towns they move into, with a couple also offering a basic quest or serving as a merchant.

The list of seven locations the mod affects includes the infamous abandoned house in Markarth from the ‘House of Horrors’ Daedric quest, Calixto’s House of Curiosities in Windhelm, and Mercer Frey’s Riften manor from the Thieves Guild questline.

You’ll have to let a little bit of time pass after completing each quest to see the changes, with Siberpunk estimating that “at least 15 [in-game] days” will have to have gone by before the new residents start moving their stuff in.

Regardless of whether you’re now awkwardly informing one of these NPCs of their predecessor’s fate, make sure to follow us for updates on Starfield, The Elder Scrolls 6 and the interesting world of Bethesda game modding, including our top mods of the month.