Key Takeaways
- Fans eagerly await a Bloodborne remaster, but are always disappointed by false hopes.
- Legal issues could stand in the way of a remaster, as evidenced by Miyazaki’s careful language.
- The lack of a remaster could mean mediocre sales compared to other PlayStation titles.
Name a group of fans more underserved than Bloodborne’s. Those waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong news are probably coming close, but the clamor for a Bloodborne remaster has been around since Silksong was just a grub.
There have been plenty of times when fans have done that got their hopes up, like when a PS5 version of the game reportedly appeared on PlayStation Stars or when PlayStation mysteriously tweeted about the game. But just as often, there have been moments where they’ve been let down, like when a Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster was announced, or a Dark Souls 3 version, or something even less exciting than both.
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It’s gotten to the point where the community has given up all hope of ever seeing one, and they’ve even resorted to remastering the game themselves. But as the tenth anniversary approaches, Bloodborne fans have gathered on Reddit to try to use logic to figure out why PlayStation isn’t doing anything with the beloved title.
“The only ‘logical’ reasons are legal issues”
One prevailing theory comes from user dicekit, who believes that the only reason there hasn’t been a Bloodborne remaster or PC port is due to some legal hurdles.
As evidence, they use a quote from Miyazaki himself, in which the game’s creator once said, “If I say I want one, I’ll get in trouble too. But I’m not against it.”
Dicekit takes the phrase “I’m getting into trouble” as literal trouble, suggesting that something is legally preventing the game creator from sharing what he thinks.
“Sony has no interest in touching the IP address again”
Another theory comes from Vox-Silenti who suggests that Sony doesn’t care about the Bloodborne IP, a controversial opinion that isn’t shared by everyone.
While Vox says, “That’s the only reason, and it always has been that way,” others disagree. User WorthlessRain responded by saying, “I mean, it would be unfathomably idiotic to ‘not care’ about one of the most beloved games in history, made by one of the most beloved companies in history.”
Vox’s suggestion bought out the tinfoil hats, with many claiming that because PS3-exclusive Demon’s Souls was remastered for the PS5 launch, Sony will do the same for Bloodborne and the PS6.
“If you’re looking for a reason, it’s probably money.”
Thesupermonk21 suggests that money is the only reason why a Bloodborne remaster hasn’t seen the light of day. They compare Horizon Zero Dawn’s sales figures, which are around 24 million copies, to Bloodborne’s 7 million copies (as of 2022) and claim that this disparity is why Sony hasn’t rekindled FromSoftware’s title.
Another user countered this, saying, “Returnal only sold about a million, but they still put that on PC,” which is a valid counterpoint.
Arguments further down the thread suggest that Sony may be hesitant about remastering the game because, while the calls for it are loud, there is no guarantee of sales, just like when Morbius returned to theaters.
Bloodborne is a PlayStation 4 exclusive title developed by FromSoftware, creator of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, and launched in 2015. A critically acclaimed action role-playing game that sees you traverse the city of Yharnam in search of a cure for a mysterious disease.