Bethesda Removes Margret Thatcher Doom Mod

Bethesda has taken down Doom 2’s Thatcher Techbase mod, which pitted Doom Guy against the demonic Iron Lady, off the official Doom 1 and 2 mod browsers.

In an email to the mod’s developer, Jim Purvis, Bethesda cited “real-world politics” as the reason behind the removal.

Since its 2021 release, the mod garnered almost universal praise from Doom players, especially those in Ireland and the United Kingdom— including Jeremy Corbyn.

Thatcher’s Techbase resurrected Margret Thatcher in the tenth circle of hell, the United Kingdom, and tasked Doom Guy with defeating one of “humanity’s greatest threats” to send her back to the inferno. It also included several new weapons, levels, demon types, and multiple difficulty settings.

Bethesda’s removal is likely motivated by the fear that the mod being on their official browsers will be taken as a political statement. As hated as Thatcher is, there are still some who like her.

This change came barely a month after the Doom 1 and 2 bundles dropped on PC and consoles.

First The Milk, Now This!

Those unfamiliar with Thatcher might be surprised as to why someone would turn her into a Cyberdemon hybrid.

To understand Thatcher, think of her as the UK version of Ronald Reagan—sort of. While Thatcher’s economic policies mirrored Reagan’s, her other policies were much more authoritarian.

Domestically, she cut welfare funding, weakened unions, and privatized many national industries. While the hate-letter mod could’ve come from any cursory history nerd, the developer has a personal connection to the Iron Lady.

As a Scotsman, Purvias’ early life was marked by the consequences of Thatcher’s reign. His hometown, Coatbridge, was heavily dependent on the very industries Thatcher’s policies impacted negatively; industries that never really regained their lost momentum.

Purvias’ portrayal of the infamous prime minister isn’t an outlier. During and after her time in office, demonic imagery was heavily used by her critics. From comics to caricatures, she’s donned or been friends with curved horns and black hoofs many times.

Thankfully, but regrettably, Bethesda’s decision only affects console players as they don’t have access to unofficial modding sites. PC players can continue to fight Thatcher to their heart’s content.

Funnily enough, Bethesda’s disapproval of “real-world politics” didn’t stop Doom creator John Romero from playing it.