The Bloodborne PSX demake has become the latest fan project inspired by FromSoftware's cult classic to face a copyright claim. This comes shortly after the popular Bloodborne 60fps mod was taken down last week, marking a sudden wave of enforcement action seemingly tied to the franchise.
Renowned modder Lance McDonald, known for his work on the Bloodborne 60fps patch, revealed last week that he received a DMCA takedown request on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment. The notice demanded the removal of all links to the mod, which had been publicly available for four years before being flagged. McDonald complied with the request and removed the associated content.
Shortly thereafter, Lilith Walther, creator of Nightmare Kart (formerly Bloodborne Kart) and the well-received Bloodborne PSX demake, announced via Twitter that a YouTube video showcasing her demake project had also received a copyright strike—this time from MarkScan Enforcement.
Lance McDonald quickly responded, noting that MarkScan is a third-party agency frequently employed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. He added that it was the same firm responsible for the earlier DMCA notice targeting his 60fps mod page.
“And now they’ve issued a DMCA against an old video about the Bloodborne PSX demake. That’s pretty wild. What exactly are they going after here?” McDonald tweeted in response.
Bloodborne remains one of the most enigmatic properties in modern gaming. Originally released on PlayStation 4 to widespread acclaim, the game has seen no official updates, remasters, or sequels since its launch nearly a decade ago—despite a growing fanbase calling for a next-gen upgrade, a remake, or even a sequel.
Recent technical advancements have offered some relief to fans eager for improved performance. Thanks to progress made in PS4 emulation, particularly through the ShadPS4 emulator, Digital Foundry reported that Bloodborne can now be played start-to-finish at a stable 60fps on PC—an achievement that may have caught the attention of rights holders. IGN has reached out to Sony for comment but has not yet received a response.
Speculation surrounding Sony’s recent actions has led McDonald to propose what he calls his “copium theory”—the idea that these takedowns could be part of a larger plan for an official release.
“My copium theory is that Sony issued these DMCA notices for the 60fps patch and the PSX demake video so that when they eventually announce an official 60fps remake, searches for terms like ‘Bloodborne 60fps’ and ‘Bloodborne remake’ won’t return results tied to fan projects,” McDonald explained.
He continued: “Like, if they’re planning to trademark those phrases, they need to clear up existing references first to successfully file a trademark. Right?”
Despite these aggressive moves, there remains no concrete evidence that Sony is actively developing any new Bloodborne-related product. However, former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida recently shared his own theory regarding the game’s stagnation during an interview with Kinda Funny Games.
“Bloodborne has always been the most requested title,” Yoshida said. “People often ask why we haven't done anything—not even a simple update or remaster. It seems straightforward, especially considering how many remasters Sony typically releases.”
He added: “My personal theory? Hidetaka Miyazaki loved Bloodborne so much that while he might want to see it continue, he doesn’t want anyone else to handle it. And Sony respects that. Again, this is just my personal belief—I don’t have inside knowledge anymore.”
While Miyazaki himself has remained largely tight-lipped about future Bloodborne projects, citing the fact that FromSoftware does not own the IP, he did acknowledge in a February 2024 interview that the game would benefit from being made available on more modern platforms.
For now, the Bloodborne community continues to innovate and create despite legal setbacks, proving that passion for the game runs deeper than ever—even as official support remains elusive.
