

A mod isn’t a standalone game, sure. It requires the base game to have meaning. Unitl it gets spinned off and becomes a “real” (standalone) game.
Many standalone games are nothing without the game engine, which many developers have bought/licensed.
In this case the “standalone game” can be considered the game engine, which allows the modder to create their own game, within the limits of that engine.
From the point of the player, they need to pay for the game engine and the game/mod in any case, either by paying with one transaction, or, incase of payed mods, in two.
To play a specific DLC, you also have to pay twice. And I am pretty sure that Nintendo will argue that game mechanics in DLCs developed by them can be patented as well…
What I mean is Nintendos argument hat mods aren’t ‘real games’ is flawed…
So game mechanics in DLCs cannot be patented, because they are just mods?