Well, there's no equation between combat and competitive multiplayer. Mods, be it single or multiplayer, are so hugly popular because combat is so great in the first place, I think.
I think so too, mods wouldn't do anything if the base game wasn't good in the first place. However, even good games get old, and that's where mods come in and keep the game alive for a long time thanks to the added variety.
It's disappointing to see a developer ignoring the aspect and being so oblivious to it.
On the contrary, he's saying that the competitive multiplayer part is so good that it deserves a much larger community than the one it has now.