The login requirement is essentially a hedge against piracy. Factorio is DRM-free, so pirating the game is technically trivial. Locking mod downloads to account holders means only people who bought the game can (easily) download mods. Don't have a link handy, but I remember Wube staff talking about...

darkfrei wrote:You can download any mod direct in game.

You are still asked to log in. What is the point of using the game's built in system if you face the same issue you face with a browser?

One of the things that would greatly benefit the mod portal is the removal of the login requirement. It does not make sense to have to log in just to download a mod.

Could you add an alternative download link that doesn't use mods.factorio.com?