How to Download & Install Vortex (Mod Manager)

How to Download & Install Vortex (Mod Manager)

In this guide we will show you how to download and install Vortex on your computer.

Vortex is Nexus Mods official mod manager, and is the recommended method for managing and installing mods through Nexus Mods when available. It makes it easy to download and install mods, and also provides features such as mod profiles, load order management, and more.

Table of Contents

Requirements

  • This guide assumes you have a computer running Windows 10 or later or Linux.
    • For Linux users, please follow the guide and read the notes in the Linux section below.
  • At least 1 GB of free storage space.

Downloading

There are two sources you can download the Vortex executable from:

  1. The official Nexus Mods website (direct download)
  2. From releases in the GitHub repository (direct download for v2.0.2)

Vortex Setup Executable

Installing

To install the application, simply run the executable file by double-clicking on it (or right-clicking -> Open).

The first option will ask you to select the installation location. You can choose the default location or select a different one.

Vortex Installation Location

Afterwards, continue through the installation. It should take anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes depending on your computer. Once the installation is complete, you can launch Vortex and start using it to manage your mods!

Vortex Installation Complete

Notes

Linux

While there is support for running Vortex on Linux, it does require you to perform some additional steps.

This guide on Reddit provides a walkthrough along with useful information.

Getting Vortex to Run on Linux

In short, you will need to download and install the following applications and frameworks:

Afterwards, download the Vortex executable (steps detailed above) and perform the following steps:

  1. Open HGL and go to Library -> Add Game.
  2. Give a name for the game (e.g. "Vortex").
  3. At the bottom, click the Run Installer First and then run the Vortex executable you downloaded.
  4. Again, click the Run Installer First button and run the .NET Desktop Runtime installer you downloaded.
  5. After the installation is complete, you will need to click the Select Executable button and select the file location of where Vortex was installed.
    • For most users, this will be in: /home/{USERNAME}/Games/Heroic/Prefixes/default/Vortex Mod Manager/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Black Tree Gaming Ltd/Vortex/
  6. Click the Finish button and that should be it! Now you can launch Vortex, sign into Nexus Mods, and start downloading and installing mods.

NOTE - For advanced users, you may select different Wine prefixes and configurations.

Adding & Configuring Games

Now that you have Vortex running, you will need to add your games to it. In the guide linked above, the instructions are as follows:

  1. Add your games through HGL by going to Library -> Add Game.
  2. Click on the Show Wine settings button.
  3. Change the WinePrefix path to point where your new Vortex prefix/installation is located.
    • Common path noted above: /home/{USERNAME}/Games/Heroic/Prefixes/default/Vortex Mod Manager/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Black Tree Gaming Ltd/Vortex/
  4. Start Vortex and now you should be able to manage your games through there!

See Also!