The VR Mod Debate

[Anxiouspirit]

Since I can’t post this normally, I’ll do it here.

I would like to address the recent DMCA notice issued against the Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod.

I am genuinely saddened by the fact that modders, who have been creating something truly special out of passion and love for this game, are being pursued, while at the same time there are no plans to introduce an official VR mode. For me, Cyberpunk 2077 in VR was by far the best way to experience Night City. It was the most immersive, the most emotional, and the most “alive” way to play the game.

Thanks to the VR mod, I could experience this world from the inside, feel its scale, atmosphere, and depth in a way that no 2D version could ever provide. Now, knowing that this project will no longer be developed, it feels like something truly unique has been taken away from the community.

I understand legal frameworks and business realities, but it is hard not to feel disappointed when a company shuts down passionate fan initiatives while offering no alternative of its own. If an official VR mode is not planned, then why remove the work of people who were giving players an experience that the studio itself chose not to provide?

Cyberpunk 2077 in VR was my favorite way to play the game. Losing this possibility is not just the end of a mod, but the loss of a powerful, creative, and community-driven way of experiencing this incredible world.

On behalf of the VR community and all the fans who loved experiencing Night City in virtual reality, I kindly ask you to reconsider and withdraw the DMCA notice issued against the Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod.

 

[avalon3440]

Since I can’t post this normally, I’ll do it here.

I would like to address the recent DMCA notice issued against the Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod.

I am genuinely saddened by the fact that modders, who have been creating something truly special out of passion and love for this game, are being pursued, while at the same time there are no plans to introduce an official VR mode. For me, Cyberpunk 2077 in VR was by far the best way to experience Night City. It was the most immersive, the most emotional, and the most “alive” way to play the game.

Thanks to the VR mod, I could experience this world from the inside, feel its scale, atmosphere, and depth in a way that no 2D version could ever provide. Now, knowing that this project will no longer be developed, it feels like something truly unique has been taken away from the community.

I understand legal frameworks and business realities, but it is hard not to feel disappointed when a company shuts down passionate fan initiatives while offering no alternative of its own. If an official VR mode is not planned, then why remove the work of people who were giving players an experience that the studio itself chose not to provide?

Cyberpunk 2077 in VR was my favorite way to play the game. Losing this possibility is not just the end of a mod, but the loss of a powerful, creative, and community-driven way of experiencing this incredible world.

On behalf of the VR community and all the fans who loved experiencing Night City in virtual reality, I kindly ask you to reconsider and withdraw the DMCA notice issued against the Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod.

Guideline related to fan made content

• No commercial usage. We’d love for your fan content to be created by fans, for fans. Therefore, you cannot do anything with our games for any commercial purpose, unless explicitly permitted otherwise below (e.g. see section 3 about videos and streams). We’re happy for you to accept reasonable donations in connection with your fan content, but you’re not allowed to make people pay for it or have it behind any sort of paywall (e.g. don’t make content only available to paid subscribers).

Mod creator went against the rules so CDPR did what they had to do. Only he can blame himself for paywalling it and (hehe) paying the price

 

[SigilFey]

Post moved, and just a quick reminder -- this is right on the edge of "real-world" issues. We can discuss the topic, but let's leave names, places, titles, etc. completely out of it. If accusations or insults start appearing (either way) the thread will be closed.

 

[SigilFey]

In response to the topic:

Yes, what @avalon3440 refers to is the main issue. Modders are free to add what they want. Modders are not free to charge for what they add.

Mods, regardless of how innovative, complex, or time-consuming, are edits to an existing, licensed IP. Anyone wishing to become a mod author needs to do so knowing it's not a source of income or a career position -- it's a hobby. While donations may be acceptable in many cases, charging for access to modded content takes another person's work, changes it, and then pockets the income without a license or royalty agreement. (That's directly in violation of copyright law pretty much around the world.)

That situation could have worked a few ways:

1.) No charge. The author could have just done the work for free, like any mod. Perhaps not feasible for something of this scale, but definitely legal. This is the smartest option, IMO, as it prevents any form of monetization of mods.

2.) Sign an agreement. The author can contact the studio and arrange to self-fund the project while paying a royalty to the studio. Not guaranteed, but the proper course of action to take if funding would be required. However, any studio could reject the proposal for whatever reasons. No one is required to license out their IP if they don't want to.

3.) Ask for donations. Which would slow down the work if funding was required, but would not technically violate any laws as there is no "sale" of a product. (The only time this becomes an issue is when authors try to play a game like, "Oh -- it's totally free for anyone that donates $20 or more!" Not gonna fly. That's a paywall, available only to people who spend >$20, and is therefore no different than a sale.)

The bigger issue is the Pandora's Box that is monetization of mods. It's already been opened, and it's being held shut again with duct tape. The minute something monetary becomes standardized, mods are going to become a capitalistic venture that will be seized upon by anyone with enough capital to try to invest and take the whole pie. The days of anyone being able to mod freely will be gone, and the new modding "industry" will start to corner the market with all the corporate manipulation that any industry comes with.

Very simple lesson: "Don't charge for mods. Either do the work freely, or settle business with the IP owner before any money changes hands."

 

[LeKill3rFou]

Well if the mod author decided to sell his mod, which is against the mod guideline, he is the only one to blame. Maybe if he wish to earn money with his mods and work, he should mod other games, like Bethesda's on the Creation Club.

 

[Draconifors]

Frankly, I'm surprised it took this long.

You break the rules, you get punished.

 

[Anxiouspirit]

I don’t fully agree with that take, because in this case we are not really talking about “selling a mod” in the traditional sense. What is being sold here is a technology layer that was built almost from scratch. And honestly, I still have serious doubts that something of this engineering complexity was created by just one person, it looks much more like the work of a small team.

This is not “editing a game.” It is a complete technological framework that enables VR for more than 40 different games. That means custom stereo rendering, projection systems, performance optimizations, synchronization pipelines, and overall compatibility management across many different engines and titles. That is infrastructure, not content. The games are merely clients of that technology.

Comparing this to a typical mod like “a new weapon,” “a new map,” or “a gameplay tweak” is simply inaccurate. On top of that, there are features that go far beyond normal modding, such as a unique VR stereo DLSS solution.

This is not hobby-level work. This is product-level engineering. If someone believes things like this can realistically be done for free, they are seriously underestimating the amount of time, expertise, and skill involved.

And again, I find it very hard to believe this is a one-man project. At this scale, you are talking about:

• low-level graphics programming,
• VR pipeline engineering,
• QA and compatibility testing across dozens of titles,
• long-term maintenance and updates.

That is hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of work. So what is being sold is not “a mod for a game,” but a technology that enables VR across dozens of games. Nobody expects them to give their work away for free just because their tools are used inside other people’s games.

The argument about “Pandora’s box” and the monetization of mods also misses the point here. No one is saying every mod should be paid. But projects that operate at the level of rendering pipelines, or custom DLSS solutions, are no longer “mods” in the traditional sense. They are full-fledged engineering products. So expecting this kind of work to be done purely for free “because it’s a mod” is, respectfully, simply disconnected from reality.

 

[northwold]

I don’t fully agree with that take, because in this case we are not really talking about “selling a mod” in the traditional sense. What is being sold here is a technology layer that was built almost from scratch. And honestly, I still have serious doubts that something of this engineering complexity was created by just one person, it looks much more like the work of a small team.

This is not “editing a game.” It is a complete technological framework that enables VR for more than 40 different games. That means custom stereo rendering, projection systems, performance optimizations, synchronization pipelines, and overall compatibility management across many different engines and titles. That is infrastructure, not content. The games are merely clients of that technology.

Comparing this to a typical mod like “a new weapon,” “a new map,” or “a gameplay tweak” is simply inaccurate. On top of that, there are features that go far beyond normal modding, such as a unique VR stereo DLSS solution.

This is not hobby-level work. This is product-level engineering. If someone believes things like this can realistically be done for free, they are seriously underestimating the amount of time, expertise, and skill involved.

And again, I find it very hard to believe this is a one-man project. At this scale, you are talking about:

• low-level graphics programming,
• VR pipeline engineering,
• QA and compatibility testing across dozens of titles,
• long-term maintenance and updates.

That is hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of work. So what is being sold is not “a mod for a game,” but a technology that enables VR across dozens of games. Nobody expects them to give their work away for free just because their tools are used inside other people’s games.

The argument about “Pandora’s box” and the monetization of mods also misses the point here. No one is saying every mod should be paid. But projects that operate at the level of rendering pipelines, or custom DLSS solutions, are no longer “mods” in the traditional sense. They are full-fledged engineering products. So expecting this kind of work to be done purely for free “because it’s a mod” is, respectfully, simply disconnected from reality.

What is there to disagree with? Mod makers are using someone else's IP. If they're going to do that they need to abide by the IP holders' conditions. The end.

You seem to be saying that if someone does enough work while violating someone's IP they should be able to be paid for it. I'm afraid that is what is disconnected from reality.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

I don’t fully agree with that take, because in this case we are not really talking about “selling a mod” in the traditional sense. What is being sold here is a technology layer that was built almost from scratch. And honestly, I still have serious doubts that something of this engineering complexity was created by just one person, it looks much more like the work of a small team.

This is not “editing a game.” It is a complete technological framework that enables VR for more than 40 different games. That means custom stereo rendering, projection systems, performance optimizations, synchronization pipelines, and overall compatibility management across many different engines and titles. That is infrastructure, not content. The games are merely clients of that technology.

Comparing this to a typical mod like “a new weapon,” “a new map,” or “a gameplay tweak” is simply inaccurate. On top of that, there are features that go far beyond normal modding, such as a unique VR stereo DLSS solution.

This is not hobby-level work. This is product-level engineering. If someone believes things like this can realistically be done for free, they are seriously underestimating the amount of time, expertise, and skill involved.

And again, I find it very hard to believe this is a one-man project. At this scale, you are talking about:

• low-level graphics programming,
• VR pipeline engineering,
• QA and compatibility testing across dozens of titles,
• long-term maintenance and updates.

That is hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of work. So what is being sold is not “a mod for a game,” but a technology that enables VR across dozens of games. Nobody expects them to give their work away for free just because their tools are used inside other people’s games.

The argument about “Pandora’s box” and the monetization of mods also misses the point here. No one is saying every mod should be paid. But projects that operate at the level of rendering pipelines, or custom DLSS solutions, are no longer “mods” in the traditional sense. They are full-fledged engineering products. So expecting this kind of work to be done purely for free “because it’s a mod” is, respectfully, simply disconnected from reality.

The amount of people or amount work it required are irrelevant and do not matter... There are big teams (dozens of modders/devs/artists) who provided and still provide entire modding environnements (their own installers, own launchers on various OS, own mod managers, own mods & giant modpacks, etc...) for Minecraft since more than a decade, which required thousands, dozens thousands hours of work and still, everything was and still is totally free.

Beside, if he or they wanted to, they could have contacted CDPR to find an agreement or a partnership... From what I know, CDPR is not against this kind of "deal", like with embody and their immersive pack for Cyberpunk > IMMERSE GAMEPACK x CYBERPUNK 2077

But apparently, they didn't and violate the guideline. So they're the only ones to blame, period.

 

[Anxiouspirit]

The technology that enables VR mode is not part of your game and is not dependent on it. It is an independent solution, developed as a universal VR layer that works across many different games (more than 40 at this point). You are not the center of the universe, nor the sole reason why such technology exists.

This technology supports many different games, yet somehow in your view people should pay you for access to a technology that was created entirely by someone else. That is a strange position to take. Maybe the real problem is not legal or ethical, but competitive. Maybe it simply hurts that an external developer managed to create something innovative and technically complex that you yourselves were not able, or not willing, to deliver. And it probably hurts even more that people are genuinely interested in it, excited about it, and happy that this framework works with your game.

Because instead of seeing players enjoying something new and technically impressive, you respond by trying to shut it down. In practice, you are not protecting your community, you are disappointing it. You are taking away something that makes people happy, something that expands how they can experience your game.

So the message becomes even worse:
not only “you are not allowed to monetize your own technology,” but also “you are not allowed to make our players excited in ways we didn’t control or create.”

That is why this feels so disconnected from reality. It is not about IP, it is not about fairness, and it is not about principles. It is about control, ego, and discomfort with the fact that someone else delivered something the community clearly wanted.

 

[Joswhe2022]

I know these are the rules being enforced, but as a player, I’m not convinced they actually make sense in this case.

What I think is getting lost here is the player perspective.
For a lot of us, Cyberpunk 2077 in VR wasn’t some novelty mod. It was genuinely the best way to experience Night City. In my case, it’s the reason I bought the game in the first place. Without the VR experience, I simply wouldn’t have been a customer, and I know I’m not alone in that.

From a player’s point of view, whether something is worth paying for should ultimately be up to the consumer. Nobody was forced to support this work. People chose to because the value was there. That relationship existed because the experience delivered was exceptional.

It’s also hard to ignore how much value this brought to the game itself. The amount of VR videos, streams, and online coverage acted as constant, unpaid advertising for Cyberpunk. That visibility clearly translated into sales and kept the game relevant long after launch, at no cost to the studio.

I also think it’s worth acknowledging that monetisation already exists around modding in practice. Many players already pay for access, convenience, tools, or platforms that support mods. From a consumer’s point of view, the difference between paying for access, paying for support, or supporting development often feels academic. What matters is whether the experience is worth it, and clearly many people felt this one was.
I accept that the current rules don’t allow charging for mods. But it’s still disappointing to see something that brought in new players, added real value, and meant a lot to the community removed entirely, especially when no alternative is being offered.
This isn’t about entitlement. It’s about losing something that genuinely made the game special for a lot of people, and that’s why there’s so much frustration around it.

 

[DjDylu]

If VR is breaking the rules, why is DreamPunk by NextGen Dream still around? They should be punished too.

 

[Joswhe2022]

The amount of people or amount work it required are irrelevant and do not matter... There are big teams (dozens of modders/devs/artists) who provided and still provide entire modding environnements (their own installers, own launchers on various OS, own mod managers, own mods & giant modpacks, etc...) for Minecraft since more than a decade, which required thousands, dozens thousands hours of work and still, everything was and still is totally free.

Beside, if he or they wanted to, they could have contacted CDPR to find an agreement or a partnership... From what I know, CDPR is not against this kind of "deal", like with embody and their immersive pack for Cyberpunk > IMMERSE GAMEPACK x CYBERPUNK 2077

But apparently, they didn't and violate the guideline. So they're the only ones to blame, period.

I don’t agree that the amount of work is irrelevant. That just doesn’t reflect how the real world works.
We all trade time and skill for money. When someone creates something exceptional, people decide for themselves whether it’s worth paying for. Nobody is forced. If it’s not worth it to you, you don’t pay.
Saying that thousands of hours of skilled engineering suddenly have no value just because it’s labelled a “mod” doesn’t line up with reality.
And while I understand that rules exist, blindly falling back on “rules are rules” doesn’t always sit well with me when the outcome clearly hurts the players who valued the work.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

I don’t agree that the amount of work is irrelevant. That just doesn’t reflect how the real world works.
We all trade time and skill for money.

It doesn't matter in this case... No matter how much work you put in a mod, if you modify the game and create a mod, you MUST follow the rules/guideline
And the guideline or CDPR games is:

No commercial usage. We’d love for your fan content to be created by fans, for fans. Therefore, you cannot do anything with our games for any commercial purpose, unless explicitly permitted otherwise below (e.g. see section 3 about videos and streams). We’re happy for you to accept reasonable donations in connection with your fan content, but you’re not allowed to make people pay for it or have it behind any sort of paywall (e.g. don’t make content only available to paid subscribers).

If you do not agree with the guideline of a studio/game, do not make a mod for this game to begin with. It's common sense and not subject to debate

This modder(s) could have received donations, no issue... and if the mod is great and successful, most likely people would have gladly donate (like big Minecraft mod teams do since years/decade).
But no, he/they wanted to make a "commercial use" with it

 

[Unimatrix0]

I don’t fully agree with that take, because in this case we are not really talking about “selling a mod” in the traditional sense. What is being sold here is a technology layer that was built almost from scratch. And honestly, I still have serious doubts that something of this engineering complexity was created by just one person, it looks much more like the work of a small team.

This is not “editing a game.” It is a complete technological framework that enables VR for more than 40 different games. That means custom stereo rendering, projection systems, performance optimizations, synchronization pipelines, and overall compatibility management across many different engines and titles. That is infrastructure, not content. The games are merely clients of that technology.

Comparing this to a typical mod like “a new weapon,” “a new map,” or “a gameplay tweak” is simply inaccurate. On top of that, there are features that go far beyond normal modding, such as a unique VR stereo DLSS solution.

This is not hobby-level work. This is product-level engineering. If someone believes things like this can realistically be done for free, they are seriously underestimating the amount of time, expertise, and skill involved.

And again, I find it very hard to believe this is a one-man project. At this scale, you are talking about:

• low-level graphics programming,
• VR pipeline engineering,
• QA and compatibility testing across dozens of titles,
• long-term maintenance and updates.

That is hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of work. So what is being sold is not “a mod for a game,” but a technology that enables VR across dozens of games. Nobody expects them to give their work away for free just because their tools are used inside other people’s games.

The argument about “Pandora’s box” and the monetization of mods also misses the point here. No one is saying every mod should be paid. But projects that operate at the level of rendering pipelines, or custom DLSS solutions, are no longer “mods” in the traditional sense. They are full-fledged engineering products. So expecting this kind of work to be done purely for free “because it’s a mod” is, respectfully, simply disconnected from reality.

100% agree!

 

[Joswhe2022]

It doesn't matter in this case... No matter how much work you put in a mod, if you modify the game and create a mod, you MUST follow the rules/guideline
And the guideline or CDPR games is:

If you do not agree with the guideline of a studio/game, do not make a mod for this game to begin with. It's common sense and not subject to debate

This modder(s) could have received donations, no issue... and if the mod is great and successful, most likely people would have gladly donate (like big Minecraft mod teams do since years/decade).
But no, he/they wanted to make a "commercial use" with it

Okay, I get that these are the rules.
But with tens of millions of VR players already, new headsets making entry easier, and PC gaming becoming more accessible all the time, decisions like this feel short-sighted, especially when it comes to Cyberpunk and VR.
Rules like this don’t grow VR. They limit access to games, shut down new ways of experiencing them, and push the focus away from players and creativity. Over time, that doesn’t protect the space, it shrinks it. When the most exciting, player-driven experiences are removed with no alternative offered, it becomes harder to see how VR is supposed to grow rather than stall.
I take real issue with the idea that because someone is a fan, their time and skill should automatically be free, caring about something doesn’t mean your work has no value, and expecting it to be given away as the only acceptable option is unreasonable.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

I take real issue with the idea that because someone is a fan, their time and skill should automatically be free, caring about something doesn’t mean your work has no value, and expecting it to be given away as the only acceptable option is unreasonable.

It's like that with modding on all games (or almost) since as long as I can remember (more than two decades^^) and likely always will... Mods are created by fans for fans and are FREE (any commercial use is out of question). That's a common thing that every single modders should already know before even modding a game.

I'm sure this guy(s) well knew the rules, but decided to violate then. What did they espect?
Just because their mod is successful they will be able to do whatever they want? Or do what the other modders can't?

I agree that it's sad/unfortunate for players/users, but you have to blame the modder, not CDPR. He broke the rules, his mod get shut down as it should.
One of the most used mod on Cyberpunk (CET) will received the same treatement if its author (Yamashi) decided one day to sell it...

 

[Joswhe2022]

It's like that with modding on all games (or almost) since as long as I can remember (more than two decades^^) and likely always will... Mods are created by fans for fans and are FREE (any commercial use is out of question). That's a common thing that every single modders should already know before even modding a game.

I'm sure this guy(s) well knew the rules, but decided to violate then. What did they espect?
Just because their mod is successful they will be able to do whatever they want? Or do what the other modders can't?

I agree that it's sad/unfortunate for players/users, but you have to blame the modder, not CDPR. He broke the rules, his mod get shut down as it should.
One of the most used mod on Cyberpunk (CET) will received the same treatement if its author (Yamashi) decided one day to sell it...

I understand these rules have existed for a long time. My issue isn’t that they were enforced, but whether enforcing them so rigidly still makes sense now that some projects operate at a scale closer to full product development than a hobby tweak, and clearly deliver real value to players.

From a player’s perspective, losing something valuable with no alternative offered still feels wrong. And VR is a different case altogether. Add-ons are optional. VR isn’t. Without the VR mod, there is no way to experience the game in VR at all.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

I understand these rules have existed for a long time. My issue isn’t that they were enforced, but whether enforcing them so rigidly still makes sense now that some projects operate at a scale closer to full product development than a hobby tweak, and clearly deliver real value to players.

And?
Maybe you don't know, but big Teams on Minecraft worked and still work more and for longer than any Cyberpunk modder ever...
And still, these teams never sold anything, they only accept donations. And you know what? They never encountered any issue or problem with Mojang (or Microsoft).

Again, this modder decided by his own to break the rules and go against the official guideline. If he doesn't, his mod would be still available and players will be able to enjoy playing Cyberpunk in VR. Don't blame CDPR. Guidelines/Rules are clear, available and apply to everyone, no matter how big the project is, how much work it required, how much people worked on it or how popular the mod is.

 

[shadowm0ss]

I'm sure the fans of that mod are (understandably) very upset right now, but it seems like some of them might be directing their frustrations in the wrong direction.

Considering that this is exactly what happened previously with their GTA V and RDR2 VR mods, they must have known that this was going to happen eventually...which makes the fact that they were accepting payment in exchange for access to the mod in the first place seem, frankly, kind of irresponsible.