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 renowned video game modder, announced on Twitter that he was instructed by Sony Interactive Entertainment to remove all online links to the patch, which he has since done.

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 reportedly laughter.

Bloodborne's status as a highly sought-after game with no official next-gen upgrade remains a significant point of contention among fans. While demand for a 60fps patch, remaster, or sequel is high, Sony has yet to act. This absence has led to community-driven solutions, including McDonald's patch and recent breakthroughs in PS4 emulation, enabling near-remaster quality gameplay at 60fps on PC via ShadPS4, as highlighted by Digital Foundry. This emulation advancement 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 inactivity in an interview with Kinda Funny Games. He theorized that Hidetaka Miyazaki, the game's creator, cherishes Bloodborne deeply and is hesitant to allow others to work on it, despite his own busy schedule. Yoshida suggested that PlayStation respects Miyazaki's wishes.

Despite Miyazaki's frequent deflection of Bloodborne questions in interviews, citing FromSoftware's lack of IP ownership, he did acknowledge in February 2023 that a release on more modern hardware would benefit the game. Bloodborne remains largely untouched almost a decade after its initial release, leaving its future uncertain.