Today marks the 10th anniversary of Bloodborne, and fans are commemorating this milestone by organizing another Return to Yharnam community event. FromSoftware's PlayStation 4 masterpiece, which launched on March 24, 2015, solidified the Japanese developer's reputation as one of the industry's greatest. The game received widespread critical and commercial success, leading many to anticipate a follow-up similar to the Dark Souls sequels. However, despite fan demand, Sony has not released a current-gen remaster, a sequel, or even a next-gen update that would enable 60fps gameplay. The lack of follow-up from Sony remains a perplexing mystery in the gaming world.
Earlier this year, some clarity on the situation emerged from Shuhei Yoshida, a PlayStation legend, following his departure from Sony. In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, Yoshida shared his personal theory about the absence of Bloodborne updates, emphasizing that it was not based on insider knowledge. He noted, "Bloodborne has always been the most asked thing... And people wonder why we haven’t really done anything, even an update or a remaster. Should be easy, right? The company is known for doing so many remasters, right, some people get frustrated."Yoshida speculated that Hidetaka Miyazaki, the president of FromSoftware and the creative mind behind Bloodborne, might be the reason for the lack of updates. He suggested that Miyazaki's deep attachment to the game, combined with his busy schedule managing multiple successful projects, could explain why no one else is allowed to touch it. Yoshida said, "I have only my personal theory to that situation. I left first-party so I don’t know what’s going on, but my theory is, you know because I remember, you know, Miyazaki-san really, really loved Bloodborne, you know, what he created. So I think he is interested, but he’s so successful and he’s so busy, so he doesn’t want, he cannot do himself, but he does not want anyone else to touch it. So that’s my theory. And the PlayStation team respect his wish. So that’s my guess, right? Theory. I am not revealing any secret information, to be clear."
Miyazaki's recent successes include the influential Dark Souls series and the mainstream hit Elden Ring, which has even led to a multiplayer spin-off set for release this year. Since Bloodborne's release, Miyazaki has directed Dark Souls 3, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring, leaving fans wondering what his next project might be. While Miyazaki often redirects questions about Bloodborne to the fact that FromSoftware does not own the IP, he did acknowledge last year that the game could benefit from being released on more modern hardware.
In the absence of official updates, modders have stepped in to enhance the Bloodborne experience, but Sony has not welcomed these efforts. For instance, Lance McDonald, creator of a popular 60fps mod, received a DMCA takedown notice from Sony Interactive Entertainment four years after releasing his mod. Similarly, Lilith Walther, who created Nightmare Kart and the Bloodborne PSX demake, faced a copyright claim on an old YouTube video of her demake.
Recent advancements in PS4 emulation have allowed fans to experience something akin to a remaster on PC. Digital Foundry highlighted "a breakthrough in PS4 emulation" via ShadPS4, which enables Bloodborne to be played from start to finish at 60fps. This development might have prompted a stronger response from Sony, though the company did not comment when approached by IGN.
As fans continue to wait for official updates, they take matters into their own hands with community events like Return to Yharnam. Today's event, coinciding with Bloodborne's 10th anniversary, encourages players to create new characters, summon as many random cooperators and invaders as possible, and leave in-game messages to signify their participation in this community initiative. For now, these events may be the closest fans get to experiencing new content in the world of Bloodborne.
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