Prolific VR modder Luke Ross has re-released his R.E.A.L. VR mod suite following a DMCA takedown issued by CD Projekt in January for his paywalled Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod—this time making a bulk of the work free for anyone to download.
The News
Following the Cyberpunk 2077 controversy, Ross pulled all VR mods from his Patreon under the reasoning that piracy of his work had increased in addition to avoiding other publishers issuing similar claims.
Now, Ross has partially reinstated the R.E.A.L VR mod suite on his Patreon for free, which includes instructions on how to install and use. Supporters are offered advanced access to new features, however anyone can install the current version for free.
Notably, this doesn’t include the VR mod for Cyberpunk 2077, as Ross is not including any games possibly in violation of DMCA claims for now.
It is however possible Ross could eventually re-release the Cyberpunk 2077 mod, as CD Projekt says it allows “reasonable donations” in connection with fan content—just not anything behind any sort of paywall.
Prior to the CD Projekt takedown, mods were only available to Patreon subscribers who paid $10 per month, which included VR mod support for a host of popular flatscreen titles, including Elden Ring, Far Cry, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Ghostrunner.
Important to note is that none of Ross’ VR mods contain(ed) game files, as they primarily only include custom code for PC games to force stereoscopic 3D, head-tracking, and OpenXR compatibility.
My Take
The reasoning behind Ross’ change of heart is still a mystery, as many of his Patreon posts moving forward now include a form of “legal notice” that he says prohibits readers from copying or otherwise disclosing the contents of posts, which is his intellectual property.
Ostensibly though, Ross seems to have found the right legal strategy that won’t risk running afoul of individual studios’ terms of service, which typically prohibits putting mods or other forms of user-generated DLC behind paywalls. It seems the “release mostly everything for free and collect donations” is the current move forward.
And after a few sobering weeks, I can imagine this was actually the only strategy left, as 505 Games issued a similar takedown of Ghostrunner shortly after Cyberpunk 2077, which could have led to racking up multiple DMCA strikes on his Patreon page, risking indefinite suspension and a total stop of all incoming funds.
That said, it’s good to see Ross come to a conclusion that benefits (most) everyone. And now that Meta is not longer committed to funding big and expensive VR games, Ross’ role as a modder could be even more important now than ever.
