Recently, CD Projekt RED issued a DMCA strike to modder LukeRoss, who was distributing his Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod among Patreon subscribers. The incident made his colleagues think about the possibility of facing questions from lawyers as well.
Now, modders like NoMoreFlat are changing their approach to work – making their modifications free:
As many of you have seen, the modding community — and LukeRoss in particular — has recently faced serious DMCA claims from publishers. Seeing how much effort goes into creating these VR mods, only to then face legal pressure, is frustrating, especially considering that such mods often increase sales, giving players a reason to buy the original games. Although modding is a hobby for me, not a main job, I am not willing to put up with such pressure from publishers. So far, I haven't had any problems, but I'm not sure if this is because I'm not as well-known, or because of the policies of specific publishers. To protect my work and the community, I have decided to open source all my mods.
NoMoreFlat has created VR mods for Assassin's creed: Shadows, Starfield, Alan Wake 2, and more.
Judging by the comments, many players approve of NoMoreFlat's decision and express their willingness to financially support his work (send donations).