Cyberpunk 2077 VR Mod Creator's Frustration: 'Pirates' Punishment' After Take Down
The creator of the Cyberpunk 2077 R.E.A.L VR mod, Luke Ross, has expressed his frustration and a sense of being 'punished' by pirates after the mod was taken down following a DMCA strike by CD Projekt Red. In a statement to IGN, Ross revealed that the sudden removal of his mod from his Patreon page has led to widespread piracy, with people illegally exchanging the mod online. This reaction is a result of Ross's refusal to make the mod free, which he believes is due to the rampant piracy issue.
Initially, Ross was under an NDA for the mod's availability behind a Patreon paywall, alongside other R.E.A.L VR mods he has created. According to CD Projekt Red, this violated their 'fan guidelines' document, which prohibits selling content derived from their works for profit. The company's stance is that while reasonable donations are accepted, content should not be behind a paywall or restricted to paid subscribers.
Ross, however, publicly pushed back against this, arguing that modders' efforts should be appreciated for their value, not solely for profit. He stated, "Every little action that a company takes is in the name of money, but everything that modders do must be absolutely for free." Ross also highlighted the complexity of creating a mod that supports 40+ games and various engines, making it challenging to release a version specifically for Cyberpunk 2077.
The controversy surrounding the mod's removal and the piracy issue has sparked a debate about the rights and expectations of modders and developers. Ross's situation highlights the challenges of balancing the desire for free content with the need for fair compensation and recognition for creators' efforts.
