Red Dead Redemption PC mod halted at Take-Two’s demand

The original Red Dead Redemption never made its way over to PC but there was a fan-project attempting to make that happen. The Red Dead Redemption: Damned Enhancement Project aimed to not only overhaul the game's visuals, but get the game running on PC via an emulator. Unfortunately, the project will no longer see the light of day, as Take-Two's lawyers have gotten involved.

Some publishers are quite heavy-handed when it comes to protecting IP. Take-Two is one of them, often using private investigators to track down the makers of fan-made projects and coerce them into quitting, even if these projects sit in a legal grey area, such as emulation. This is unfortunately what has happened to DamnedDev, who has cancelled the Red Dead Redemption enhancement project.

In an update post to the project page, DamnedDev confirms that a video will be coming soon to explain the full situation. In an email to PCGamer, a bit more insight was offered, confirming that Take-Two legal reps sent letters requesting that the project be stopped.

The project is considered a mod to the original game, which shouldn't violate the EULA agreement or any laws. DamnedDev is hoping to change Take-Two's mind but isn't particularly happy with how the situation has gone down, claiming that the publisher did “shady stuff” to get his private information and contacted members of his family. This included accessing his real name, address, telephone number and even ‘private emails'.

The allegations here are similar to what we heard from SupMatto, who was tracked down by Take-Two during an investigation into Borderlands 3 leaks.

KitGuru Says: This isn't the first time that Take-Two has been accused of implementing questionable bullying tactics to end fan projects or silence leaks. Unfortunately, we don't have direct proof right now but it sounds like there is much more worth digging into here. 

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