
CD Projekt isnât messing around with its IP, as it has just issued a DMCA strike against a popular Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod due to the creatorâs refusal to make it free.
CD Projekt has confirmed that it issued a DMCA strike on a paid Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod after its creator refused to make it free for everyone, as requested by the studio. The modder, who goes by LukeRoss, claimed there had been an ongoing legal exchange between the two parties up to CD Projektâs decision, but the DMCA strike was issued following LukeRossâs refusal to make the VR mod free.
The R.E.A.L. VR mod for Cyberpunk 2077 was created by Luke Ross. The mod has made money hand over fist since its launch, and according to a 2022 report by The Verge, the mod (and Luke Ross) make $20,000 a month. This figure is allegedly based solely on modding existing PC games to run on VR headsets, without any original creation (CD Projektâs concern, the IP) being developed under the hood. These mods are locked behind a Patreon paywall.
The Vice President of Business Development at CD Projekt Red, Jan Rosner, posted a tweet telling everyone why CD Projekt made their decision, stating, âWe never allow monetization of our IP without our direct permission and/or an agreement in place,â Rosner said, adding, âWe were in touch with Luke last week and informed him that he needs to make it free for everyone (with optional donations) or remove it.â
Rosner says CD Projekt doesnât allow fans to make any paid content using their IP (which includes Cyberpunk 2077) without permission in place, and states, âWeâd be happy to see it return as a free release. However, making a profit from our IP, in any form, always requires permission from CD Projekt Red.â Rosner cites the CD Projekt fan guidelines posted on their website.

The mod creator, Luke Ross, doesnât agree with this decision and has responded to that tweet directly with âIâm sorry but I donât believe you are within your rights in demanding that my software needs to be free. It is not âderivative workâ or âfan contentâ: it supports a large number of games which were built upon different engines, and it contains absolutely zero code or assets from your IP.â Ross says he wants to find a win-win solution between himself and the company, and he doesnât believe this is the best way to clear up the misunderstanding.
As it stands, the VR mod for Cyberpunk 2077 has been taken down from Ross on his Patreon, and unlike Nintendoâs big takedown of Gary Bowser (which demanded he pay damages as well), CD Projekt asked Ross to make the mod free or take it down. Ross isnât happy with this decision. According to IGN, he posted on his Patreon afterwards, stating, âAs usual, they stretch the concept of âderivative workâ until itâs paper-thin, as though a system that allows visualizing 40+ games in fully immersive 3D VR was somehow built making use of their intellectual property.â

Ross continues with âAnd as usual they give absolutely zero f***s about how playing their game in VR made people happy, and they cannot just be grateful about the extra copies of the title they sold because of that â without ever having to pour money into producing an official conversion (no, theyâre not planning to release their own VR port, in case you were wondering).â
Unfortunately for fans, this means the Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod is offline for now.

