Summary
- A Grand Theft Auto 5 mod recreating Liberty City has been shut down following communication with Rockstar Games.
- Many players believe the modders were compelled to discontinue the project.
- Despite this setback, the modding team, driven by passion, intends to continue creating mods for the game.
A highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 5 mod, allowing players to revisit Liberty City, has been discontinued. This unfortunate news follows the considerable excitement surrounding the mod's release in 2024.
While some game developers, such as Bethesda, embrace community modding, others take a stricter approach. Gamers are familiar with the frequent takedowns of mods by companies like Nintendo and Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar Games' parent company). Despite this often litigious environment, dedicated modders persevere. Even with the recent closure, the team behind the Liberty City Preservation Project plans to continue modding.
The modding team, World Travel, announced the discontinuation on their Discord server, citing "unexpected attention" and subsequent discussions with Rockstar Games as the reason for removing the mod. While specifics remain undisclosed, their statement confirmed an ongoing passion for GTA modding.
Another GTA Mod Meets its End
Although World Travel hasn't explicitly stated coercion, many suspect the mod's closure was a result of pressure from Rockstar Games. The description of "speaking to Rockstar Games" suggests a seemingly amicable conversation, but it's likely the team received warnings about potential legal action, such as a DMCA takedown, if the mod remained publicly available. Given that most modding teams are comprised of volunteers without legal representation, such warnings often lead to immediate project closures.
Fans are expressing their disappointment on social media, criticizing Rockstar and Take-Two for their aggressive stance on modding. This frustration is heightened by the lack of confirmed Liberty City return in GTA 6, with only Vice City currently showcased. While concern about impacting GTA 4 sales is a possible motive, many argue this is illogical, as playing the Liberty City Preservation Project still required owning GTA 5, and GTA 4 is an older title. Regardless of the reasoning, the mod is no longer accessible. One can only hope future projects from World Travel fare better, though Take-Two's approach to modding doesn't appear likely to change.
