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 highlighted the irony, referencing a past meeting with former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida where he casually mentioned creating the Bloodborne 60fps mod, prompting laughter from Yoshida.

Bloodborne's continued absence of an official next-gen patch remains a significant point of contention among fans. While many desire a 60fps upgrade, calls for a remaster and sequel are also prevalent. McDonald's patch, released in 2021, attempted to fill this void. However, recent advancements in PS4 emulation, specifically ShadPS4, now allow for a near-remaster experience on PC with 60fps performance, as highlighted by Digital Foundry. This development may have prompted Sony's more assertive action. IGN has reached out to Sony for comment.

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

Despite nearly a decade since its release, Bloodborne remains largely untouched. While Miyazaki frequently avoids direct questions about the game, citing FromSoftware's lack of IP ownership, he did acknowledge in February 2023 that a release on more modern hardware would be beneficial.