A popular fan-made Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod is no longer available, sparking a familiar debate over paid mods and publisher control. CD Projekt Red has issued a DMCA takedown against the Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod created by popular VR modder Luke Ross, effectively taking it offline after it was available for almost four years.
The mod, first released in early 2022, allowed players to explore Night City in full VR, significantly increasing immersion for headset users. It was widely praised in the VR community and became one of Ross’ most popular projects.
Which led to the shutdown
The mod itself wasn’t the problem, but the fact that access to it was locked behind a paywall. While CD Projekt Red has long supported free modding for Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3, charging money for a mod that uses its intellectual property crosses a legal line for the company.
Ross addressed the shutdown head-on in a blunt and emotional Patreon post titled “Another one bites the dust.” He confirmed that CD Projekt Red contacted him through his legal team, which left little room for negotiations.
“CD PROJEKT SA decided that they would follow the steps of Take-Two Interactive Software and issued a DMCA notice against me,” Ross wrote. He accused the company of using what he called “iron-clad corporate logic,” arguing that publishers expected modders to work for free while blocking any form of financial support.
Ross also pushed back on the idea that his VR framework is a derivative work, saying it merely allows games to be viewed in immersive 3D and does not reuse any company’s assets. “The end result is all that matters and the players be damned,” he added.
Despite the setback, Ross made it clear that he is not giving up on VR modding. In the same post, he announced the release of a new VR mode for Baldur’s Gate 3, again behind a paywall.
There may still be a legitimate path forward for Cyberpunk 2077 fans, as Flat2VR Studios has publicly expressed interest in collaborating with CD Projekt Red on an officially sanctioned VR version of the game.
The closure comes at a difficult time for VR gamers after Meta recently stepped away from VR gaming following layoffs in the Reality Labs division. It also highlights a tension that has existed for years. Game studios often praise modding communities, but once money comes into play, these relationships can quickly dissolve.
