CD Projekt RED issues DMCA takedown against paid Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod

CD Projekt Red has confirmed it issued a DMCA takedown notice against a popular VR mod for Cyberpunk 2077, as its creator breached its Terms of Service by requiring players to pay for the mod.

The details:

• CD Projekt Red's Vice President of Business Development, Jan Rosner, announced the DMCA strike on X, stating the company issued the takedown as Luke Ross’ Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod violated its official Fan Content Guidelines. The guidelines explicitly prohibit monetization of the company's IPs without direct permission or an existing agreement, with Rosner stating that the company would fully accept the mod’s return as a free download with optional donations for those wanting to financially support Ross.
• Ross, a prolific VR modder known for his R.E.A.L. VR mod framework, distributed the mod behind a Patreon paywall, which cost users roughly $10 a month for access. According to a report from The Verge back in 2022, the modder was receiving roughly $20,000 every month through the Patreon.
• Ross disputed CD Projekt's characterization of his work as "derivative" or "fan content," instead arguing that his VR mod is independent software that contains zero code or assets from the publisher's IP. He compared his framework to third-party software like RivaTuner, which similarly processes games' visual output without infringing on copyright and works with many titles.
• In response to the takedown, Ross has now removed and dropped support for the mod, though stated that he would like to find a “win-win solution” for its future, such as CDPR officially supporting it. This isn’t the modder’s first run-in with major publishers, with both the Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V VR mods being taken down by Rockstar parent Take-Two in 2022.