Cyberpunk 2077 VR Modder Slams ‘Corpo Logic’ in Takedown
▼ Summary
– The VR modder Luke Ross, creator of the paywalled “R.E.A.L. VR” mod, has received a DMCA takedown from CD Projekt Red for his Cyberpunk 2077 mod, accusing the company of hostile behavior similar to Take-Two Interactive.
– Ross’s mod requires a $10 monthly Patreon subscription for access and supports many major games, a monetization method that violates most publishers’ terms of service and previously led to a DMCA from Take-Two.
– Despite the takedown, Ross has added support for Baldur’s Gate 3 to his mod, though the article notes the game’s parent company has a history of liberal DMCA use, suggesting this addition may not last.
– CD Projekt Red explicitly stated its policy forbids monetizing its IP without permission, demanding Ross make the mod free with optional donations or remove it, a stance Ross disputes by claiming his work is not derivative.
– The modding community and users largely criticize paywalled mods, arguing creators should rely on optional donations instead of subscriptions to avoid legal issues and maintain ethical standards.
The creator of a paywalled virtual reality modification for Cyberpunk 2077 has publicly criticized CD Projekt Red, accusing the studio of corporate overreach after it issued a Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown notice against his project. Undeterred by the legal challenge, the same developer has now released a similar VR mod for Baldur’s Gate 3, utilizing the same controversial subscription-based distribution model that sparked the initial conflict.
Operating under the pseudonym Luke Ross, this figure is well-known in VR modding circles for his “R.E.A.L. VR” framework. This single modification adds immersive virtual reality support to a wide array of major titles, from Elden Ring to Marvel’s Spider-Man. Access, however, comes at a cost. The mod is distributed through a Patreon page requiring a $10 monthly subscription for downloads. While a one-time payment grants immediate access, any game update necessitates a renewed subscription to obtain the latest compatible files. This model has proven lucrative; reports from 2022 estimated his monthly earnings from the project approached $20,000.
Monetizing modifications in this way typically violates the terms of service set by game publishers. This is not the first time Ross’s project has faced legal action; Take-Two Interactive previously issued a DMCA takedown for the mod’s support of Red Dead Redemption II and Grand Theft Auto V. In a detailed statement on his Patreon, Ross condemned what he calls “hostile behavior toward modders and gamers alike,” arguing that his work is unfairly targeted while companies freely pursue profit.
His recent criticism is now directed at CD Projekt Red. In a Patreon post, he lambasted the studio’s “iron-clad corpo logic,” arguing it creates a double standard where corporate profit-seeking is acceptable but modders are expected to work for free. “As usual they stretch the concept of ‘derivative work’ until it’s paper-thin,” Ross wrote, asserting that his universal VR system does not actually utilize any protected intellectual property from the games it supports. Shortly after this post on January 17, he updated the R.E.A.L. VR mod to include Baldur’s Gate 3, a move that may provoke similar action from that game’s rights holders, given their history of enforcing copyright.
There is a case to be made for the complexity of Ross’s work. The R.E.A.L. VR mod is a sophisticated, multi-game framework that likely demands significant ongoing maintenance and updates. A financial incentive could be seen as necessary to sustain such a project long-term. However, the modding community widely employs an alternative model: releasing modifications for free and accepting voluntary donations. This approach maintains goodwill and largely sidesteps legal issues, as payment is optional rather than a requirement for access.
Many gamers share publishers’ disdain for paywalled mods. A similar controversy erupted when a popular DLSS mod for Starfield launched behind a subscription paywall. In online discussions, sentiment often sides with the developers. Commenters on platforms like Reddit have criticized Ross’s strategy, with one user noting, “He knew he was outside the ToS and just chose to get away with it as long as he could. Now he’s trying to play the victim.” Another added, “Paywalled mods are disgusting. Take donations, no worries there, but pay-walling your copyright infringement should be an obvious no.”
CD Projekt Red has formally addressed the situation. Jan Rosner, the company’s VP of Business Development, stated on social media that the monetization “directly violates our Fan Content Guidelines,” clarifying that the studio never permits IP monetization without explicit permission. He noted that Ross was contacted and told to make the mod freely available with optional donations or remove it entirely. Ross publicly disputed this characterization, insisting his software is neither “derivative work” nor “fan content” and therefore not subject to such guidelines, a claim that was met with widespread skepticism online.
(Source: Kotaku)
