Cyberpunk 2077 VR Modder Restricts Access Following DMCA Notice: ‘The Online Community Is Out for Blood’
Modder Luke Ross, known for creating full VR mods for some of the biggest titles in gaming, has decided to take all his mods offline for the time being. This decision follows a failed attempt to negotiate payment with CD Projekt Red for a VR mod of Cyberpunk 2077, which resulted in a DMCA takedown notice from the studio earlier this month. Ross has since received another DMCA notice from the publisher of Ghostrunner, prompting him to suspend his entire Patreon, where subscribers previously had access to a variety of VR mods, for at least the next month.
In a message to his supporters, Ross explained, “Given the circumstances, I’m forced to take immediate action. I’m making all versions of the mods and related posts unavailable to prevent any further claims.” He also noted that new subscriptions would only serve to support him, with no access to the 40+ mods being provided at this time.
This drastic step comes as Ross expressed concern over potentially losing access to his Patreon account following the takedown notice from Ghostrunner’s publisher, 505 Games. He pointed out that this notice did not cite any specific violation of terms of service. “Patreon automatically complied,” he stated. “I don’t blame them; DMCA law is structured to give immense power to large companies, allowing them to claim copyright infringement with minimal effort, while creators like me are left to navigate costly legal battles.”
Ross’s email reflects his frustration with the power dynamics surrounding DMCA threats and the publishers of the games he modifies. He also addressed criticisms regarding his decision to charge for the mods. Central to CDPR’s complaint was that Ross was charging players for access to the Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod through a subscription model. The studio indicated that they would prefer if he made the mods free and allowed users to tip voluntarily, similar to other modders.
“People online are quick to judge because of past reports claiming I was making $20,000 a month,” Ross wrote. “If the total effort I put into making my software for Cyberpunk amounted to, say, $50,000, is that ‘reasonable’ in the eyes of the publisher? It’s a fraction of what they would spend to port Cyberpunk 2077 to VR themselves, and all costs were covered by dedicated gamers, not CD Projekt Red.”
Despite his efforts, Ross has not garnered widespread support from the gaming community. He accused some users of attempting to pirate the Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod after its removal as a form of retaliation for his alleged breach of CDPR’s terms. One commenter on a VR subreddit questioned why Ross didn’t consider making the mod free with optional donations, suggesting that he was more focused on profit than exploring alternative business models.
