misleading

I'd rather play something made by an enthusiast who enjoys what they do over some shill trying to make some shekels any day. Mod authors don't deserve to get paid at all. It's a privilege when developers release mod or map tools. And it's nice when developers and publishers set it up so modders can get rewarded for the content they contribute. But it's not like anyone's stopping you from putting your mod on your own site and charging for it or e-begging for donations (get a job). If you're so set on making money, why not make some indie game? I mean, Unreal Engine is free. You could even put crafting, zombies, and building in it and make it early access on Steam because there aren't enough of those. Be glad you can even mod these games. I remember when Call of Duty was synonymous with a great modding community with new content and mods every week. But now it's some lousy "AAA" rushed and over-priced title with the rest of the game sold in DLC installments of 15 bucks a pop. Also, Steam taking 75% isn't that bad. They're providing hosting for your content and providing the media for you to profit from your content. You want to put your mods on your own site and sell them? You have to buy a domain and hosting, develop that website with a members area and at least link paypal into it.