Lance McDonald, a well-known video game modder, recently disclosed on Twitter that he received a DMCA takedown notice from Sony Interactive Entertainment. The notice compelled him to remove all online links to his highly publicized 60fps patch for the game Bloodborne. McDonald complied with the request and took down the links, as he shared in his tweet. He also referenced a YouTube video he created in 2021 about the patch and humorously recounted an encounter with former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida. During the meeting, McDonald mentioned his creation of the 60fps mod for Bloodborne, to which Yoshida responded with laughter.
Bloodborne, developed by FromSoftware, has been a significant topic of discussion in the gaming community since its launch on the PS4. Despite its critical and commercial success, Sony has not released any updates or remasters for the game, leaving fans yearning for a next-gen patch to boost the frame rate from 30fps to 60fps. There's also a strong demand for a remaster and a sequel. In the absence of official updates, modders like McDonald have stepped in to fill the void. Recently, advancements in PS4 emulation, highlighted by Digital Foundry's coverage of the ShadPS4 emulator, have enabled fans to experience Bloodborne at 60fps on PC. This development might have prompted Sony's aggressive response, though IGN has reached out to Sony for further comment.
In an interview with Kinda Funny Games earlier this month, Shuhei Yoshida shared his personal theory on why Bloodborne has not seen any updates or remasters. He suggested that FromSoftware's director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, who deeply values the game, might be too busy to work on it himself and unwilling to let others touch it. Yoshida emphasized that this was merely his theory and not based on insider information. He also noted that the PlayStation team respects Miyazaki's wishes.
Despite nearly a decade passing since Bloodborne's release, the game 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 released on more modern hardware, although he often deflects direct questions about Bloodborne by pointing out that FromSoftware does not own the IP.
