CD Projekt RED takes down popular Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod over paywall issue
Renowned VR modder Luke Ross recently revealed that his VR mod for Cyberpunk 2077 was taken down following a DMCA request from the game's developer, CD Projekt RED.
The mod allowed virtual reality gamers to experience the splendor of Night City through their headsets, significantly enhancing immersion. It was originally released in late February 2022, so nothing new. It's unclear what prompted CDPR to take action now – perhaps the company simply wasn't aware of it, and someone recently brought the VR mod for Cyberpunk 2077 to their attention.
And no, it's not that the studio is working on an official VR mode for the game. Luke Ross states this explicitly, having actually managed to discuss the situation with CDPR's VP of business development and legal department.
The VR modder expressed deep disappointment in a Patreon post, complaining about "the duplicity with which the corpo mind thinks and reacts. The bottom line is all that matters, and gamers be damned." However, judging by comments on Reddit, forums and social media, many gamers aren't surprised. Companies can't allow others to profit from their intellectual property without a license, and this could have been avoided if Ross had simply released the mod for free and then asked for donations to his Patreon.
CD Projekt RED has no problem with free mods, as evidenced by their support of the modding communities for The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. They even released full modding tools (REDkit), encouraging modders to experiment.
But the VR mod for Cyberpunk 2077 was locked behind a paywall, which triggered the legal action. However, the modder isn't giving up. In fact, he just released a new VR mod for Larian's Baldur's Gate 3 – a challenging proposition since the game uses an isometric camera (though in a fully three-dimensional game) that the modder hasn't yet converted to virtual reality. But again, it's locked behind a paywall, which could lead to similar action from Wizards of the Coast.
