Modpacks

Modpacks (short for mod packages, or modification packages) are packages of. Over fifteen thousand modpacks for Minecraft currently exist, all with various themes. Virtually all modpacks use mods created for the Java Edition.

History
Due to how complex configuring mods to work together was, modpacks were created. One of the earliest modpacks was, which was released in Beta 1.7. After being spotlighted by The Yogscast, it become very popular, and inspired further modpacks as well as the.

Over time, other platforms arose, including and. Many, perhaps even most, players of modded Minecraft use modpacks rather than downloading and configuring mods manually.

Originally, most modpacks were "kitchen sink" modpacks; they included a number of mods designed to work together, but nothing more. Various modpacks with themes, custom maps, and goals rose over time, such as, , and. and similar mods have been frequently used to give modpacks a goal or a storyline.

Permissions
The original modpack and sequel modpacks did not include express permission from the mod authors to redistribute their mods. This later became a problem when introduced malicious code to make the  destroy blocks around it when the mod jar was inside a "technic" folder. Later modpack platforms, including and, required all modpacks to have permission from all mods inside their modpacks. Due to having permission to distribute all mods uploaded to, all CurseForge modpacks created through mods hosted on CurseForge automatically have permission.

Although the legal status of modpacks requiring permission to distribute their mods has never been challenged in court, the general consensus is that it is legally required. Because mods are deviations of Minecraft, Mojang has the right to regulate them. However, they still can be released under licenses that restrict distribution. Additionally, the use of mods without having express permission is generally seen as unethical in the modded community, although mod authors using restrictive licenses is also commonly frowned upon.