A look at the ethical relationship between modders and game publishers

[quagm1r3]

This would seem to support the idea that skins are even more the product of the user and less the makers of AC. Here's a question I've been thinking about:

Does the fact that AC is free disqualify any ethical issues? The makers of AC have nothing to gain, right? It's not like Half-life, where consumers bought the game for the Counter-strike mod.