Creator of Bloodborne 60fps Patch Says Sony Has Sent Him a DMCA Takedown — but Why Now?

The creator of a popular Bloodborne 60fps patch has received a DMCA takedown notice from Sony. Lance McDonald, a well-known video game modder, announced on Twitter that Sony Interactive Entertainment requested the removal of links to his patch, which he subsequently complied with.

McDonald's announcement referenced a past encounter with former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida, where he jokingly revealed his creation of the Bloodborne 60fps mod. Yoshida's reaction was described as laughter.

Bloodborne's status as an untouched title, despite its critical acclaim and fan demand for a 60fps patch, remaster, or sequel, remains a significant point of discussion within the gaming community. While McDonald's mod filled a void, recent advancements in PS4 emulation, specifically ShadPS4 highlighted by Digital Foundry, now allow for a near-remaster experience at 60fps on PC. This development may have prompted Sony's action, though IGN has reached out to Sony for comment.

Earlier this month, Yoshida offered his personal theory on Bloodborne's inactivity in an interview with Kinda Funny Games. He speculated that Hidetaka Miyazaki, the game's creator, deeply cherishes Bloodborne and is reluctant to allow others to work on it, even for updates or remasters, due to his busy schedule and high standards. Yoshida emphasized that this was merely a personal theory and not a disclosure of confidential information.

Despite Miyazaki's frequent deflection of Bloodborne questions in interviews, citing FromSoftware's lack of IP ownership, he did acknowledge in February 2023 that the game would benefit from a release on modern hardware. The game remains largely dormant nearly a decade after its initial release, leaving fans hopeful for future developments.