I blame the news outlets for making it public and screaming from the rooftops that they were bypassing it.
It's not the journalists' fault if they are informing people of the existence of something. And the idea that gamers would've been able to enjoy the mod without Sony noticing if journalists never spoke of it is dumb.
So anyone have a copy saved?
I'm still able to download the file from the original link.
https://www.nexusmods.com/godofwarragnarok/mods/22?tab=files&file_id=74
This was the original description of the mod:
Notes
This project does not touch or modify any original game code and is NOT intended to encourage the piracy.
- Download the latest release
- Copy the version.dll and PsPcSdk.dll to the game folder
- Enjoy!
Troubleshooting:
If you still encounter the login screen error, make sure to remove this file first:
C:\Users[Username]\Saved Games\God of War Ragnarök[AccountID]\userpreferences
Upon the first popup when it asks to link the Steam account, press "NO" button.
It's worth mentioning that the mod could stop working with future updates of the game, however.
https://blog.playstation.com/2024/09/24/horizon-zero-dawn-remastered-is-coming-to-ps5-pc-october-31-2024/
Emphasis is mine.
This is just a glorified update, not a remaster. For the most part, it's a cashgrab and I would be hard pressed to justify the full price point they are asking for this thing. At least they are offering the update at a discount for existing customers.
But it's hilarious that the existing customers who bought the game physically and then bought their new flagship console apparently are not entitled to the discount. I don't understand if Sony just doesn't care about the PS5 Pro and its users, or they think that people will buy the console + external disc tray for this?
Oh, and now the game requires a PSN account on PC as well, and they only mentioned Steam and Epic Store despite the game being also released on GoG.