Best Darktide Mods in 2026: Top 10 Picks to Install

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide has a growing modding scene on Nexus Mods, and the right mods turn a solid co-op shooter into a much cleaner experience. The base game still hides information players need, such as enemy healthbars, a post-mission scoreboard, and a simple ping display. Mods fix all of that without getting you banned.

Fatshark’s official modding policy permits mods that do not affect other players, bypass progression, or destabilize the game servers. Everything on this list falls within those rules.

Top 10 Best Darktide Mods in 2026

1. Darktide Mod Loader

Downloads: 725,000+

Darktide Mod Loader is the foundation every other mod depends on. It patches the game files to allow mod loading and gives you a simple toggle to enable or disable all mods at once. You cannot run any other mod without it.

Install this first before anything else on this list.

2. Darktide Mod Framework

Downloads: 608,000+

Darktide Mod Framework is the second required tool. It is an open-source, community-run framework that provides enhanced modding capabilities for mod developers. Several high-download mods, including Scoreboard and Graphics Options, will not work without it.

Install immediately after the Mod Loader.

3. Numeric UI

Downloads: 496,000+

Numeric UI adds a large amount of visual information to the HUD that the base game leaves out entirely. It shows exact numbers for ammo, toughness, wounds, and a range of other stats during missions. Players who want to see what is actually happening on screen treat this as an essential install.

4. Scoreboard

Downloads: 408,000+

Scoreboard shows a full stats breakdown at the end of each mission, including kills, damage dealt, healing done, and more. It also saves scoreboards for later review, so you can check your previous runs. The base game gives almost no post-mission feedback, making this mod a straightforward upgrade.

5. True Level

Downloads: 387,000+

True Level reads the XP you have earned beyond the game’s maximum level cap and displays your actual accumulated level. It is a small quality-of-life fix that gives longtime players a meaningful number to track instead of a capped display that stops changing.

6. Healthbars

Downloads: 313,000+

Healthbars shows enemy health pools in standard game modes, which the base game normally locks to the Psykanium training room. You can toggle visibility by enemy class through the mod options menu. Combined with Enemies Improved below, this becomes part of a complete enemy information setup.

7. Enemies Improved

Downloads: 24,800+ (uploaded April 2026)

Enemies Improved is an all-in-one mod covering healthbars, debuff and damage-over-time tracking, stagger detection, enemy outlines, and above-head markers. It is highly customizable and built as a single optimized package rather than several separate mods stacked on top of each other. For players who want full enemy readability, this replaces several individual mods.

8. Markers Improved All-in-One

Downloads: 170,000+

Markers Improved adds new markers to collectables across missions and includes a full guide to finding Martyr’s Skulls. It also offers complete customization options for marker display. Players working on Penance completion or collectible hunting will find this saves significant time.

9. Custom HUD

A community staple since release, Custom HUD lets you move any HUD element to any position on screen, with optional grid snapping for alignment. You can also adjust the color, size, and position of individual elements to your preference. Use F3 to move elements and F8 to fine-tune their styling. Set up the layout in the Psykanium rather than the hub for the most accurate result.

10. Ping Monitor

Ping Monitor adds your current ping and jitter to the in-game tab menu with color indicators. It is a small mod but it answers a common question during missions: whether a freeze is a server issue or a local hardware problem. Install it alongside Numeric UI for a cleaner information setup.

How to Install Darktide Mods

Installing Darktide mods takes around four minutes for the initial setup. After that, adding new mods is a single extract-and-register step.

Step 1: Find Your Game Folder

Open Steam, right-click Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, select Properties, then go to Local Files and click Browse Local Files. This opens the directory you will use throughout the install.

Step 2: Install Darktide Mod Loader

Go to the Darktide Mod Loader page on Nexus Mods.
Download the file and extract the archive directly into your game folder at: ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Warhammer 40,000 DARKTIDE
Run the file named toggle_darktide_mods.bat inside that folder.

This patches the game to accept mods. Run this file again any time a game update breaks mods.

Step 3: Install Darktide Mod Framework

Download Darktide Mod Framework from Nexus Mods.
Copy the files into the mods subfolder: ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Warhammer 40,000 DARKTIDE\mods

Basic setup is now complete.

Step 4: Install Any Other Mod

For each mod you want from the list above:

Download the mod from its Nexus Mods page.
Extract the mod folder into the mods directory: ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Warhammer 40,000 DARKTIDE\mods
Register the mod in mod_load_order.txt using one of two methods:

Automatic (recommended): Download the Mod Load Order File Maker batch file from Nexus, place it in the mods folder, and run it. It detects all installed mods and updates the list automatically.

Manual: Open mod_load_order.txt in any text editor, add the mod’s folder name on a new line (for example, custom_hud), and save.

Step 5: Open Mod Options In-Game

Press F4 inside the game to open the mod options menu. From here you can configure each mod, toggle individual mods on or off, and adjust any mod-specific settings.

Some mods have their own hotkeys. Custom HUD uses F2, F3, and F8 for its functions.

After Every Game Update

Fatshark updates can reset the mod patch. After any Darktide update, run toggle_darktide_mods.bat in the game folder again to re-enable mods before launching.

How to Disable or Remove a Mod

Disable temporarily: Press F4 in-game and use Toggle Mods, or open mod_load_order.txt and add -- before the mod’s folder name.

Remove a mod: Delete the mod’s folder from the mods directory and remove its entry from mod_load_order.txt.

Remove all mods: Run toggle_darktide_mods.bat and choose to unpatch the bundle database. Then delete all mod files and folders from the mods directory. Use Steam’s Verify Integrity of Game Files option if any issues remain after removal.

The mods on this list are all available on Nexus Mods and fall within Fatshark’s official modding policy. None of them affect unmodded players, bypass progression systems, or unlock premium content. Install and enjoy them without worrying about account action.

For players starting with mods for the first time, install the Mod Loader, Mod Framework, and Numeric UI first. Those three alone cover the most common frustrations with the base game’s missing information. Add others from the list based on what you want to improve next.

Best Mods for Darktide in 2026 (Top 10 Picks)