Sony Issues DMCA to Bloodborne 60fps Patch Creator: Timing Questioned

The creator of the widely recognized Bloodborne 60fps patch, Lance McDonald, recently announced via X (formerly Twitter) that he received a DMCA takedown notice from Sony Interactive Entertainment. In his post, McDonald stated that he had complied with the request by removing all links to the patch he had shared online.

Reflecting on a previous encounter, McDonald mentioned a conversation with former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida. During a meeting, McDonald revealed his work on mods for PlayStation games, specifically mentioning the 60fps mod for Bloodborne. Yoshida's response was a hearty laugh, indicating a light-hearted acknowledgment of McDonald's efforts.

Bloodborne, developed by FromSoftware and released on the PS4, has garnered immense acclaim and a dedicated fanbase. Despite its success, Sony has not pursued any updates, remasters, or sequels, leaving fans yearning for an official next-gen patch that would boost the game's performance to 60fps from its current 30fps. This void has been partially filled by community efforts, like McDonald's patch and recent advancements in PS4 emulation. Notably, Digital Foundry highlighted a significant breakthrough with the ShadPS4 emulator, enabling Bloodborne to run at 60fps on PC from start to finish. This development has led some to speculate whether it prompted Sony's aggressive response to McDonald's patch. IGN has reached out to Sony for further comment on the situation.

In a recent interview with Kinda Funny Games, Yoshida shared his personal theory on why Bloodborne has not seen any updates or remasters. He suggested that FromSoftware's director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, who is deeply attached to Bloodborne, might be too busy to oversee such projects himself and prefers that no one else touches his work. Yoshida emphasized that this is merely his theory and not an insider revelation.

Despite nearly a decade passing since its release, Bloodborne remains untouched by official updates. However, there is a glimmer of hope as Miyazaki has acknowledged in past interviews that the game could benefit from being available on more modern hardware, although he often deflects direct questions about its future due to FromSoftware not owning the IP.