Bloodborne 60fps Patch Controversy: Sony Issues DMCA Takedown

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 the takedown on Twitter, stating he removed all online links to the patch as requested by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

McDonald's announcement followed a previously shared anecdote about a 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 or remaster remains a significant point of contention among fans. While demand for a 60fps update is high, many also desire a remaster and a sequel. McDonald's mod, and more recently, advancements in PS4 emulation via ShadPS4 (allowing for a near-remaster experience at 60fps on PC, as highlighted by Digital Foundry), seemingly prompted Sony's 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, deeply cherishes Bloodborne and is reluctant to allow others to work on it, despite its potential for updates or remasters. Yoshida suggested the PlayStation team respects Miyazaki's wishes.

Despite Miyazaki's frequent deflection of Bloodborne questions in interviews (often 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 untouched almost a decade after its initial release, leaving its future uncertain.