GTA 5: Liberty City Mod Discontinued

Liberty City GTA 5 Mod Shut Down Following Contact with Rockstar Games

A highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 5 mod recreating Liberty City has been discontinued. The news follows the mod's popularity in 2024. While some game developers embrace modding, others, like Rockstar Games' parent company Take-Two Interactive, are known for taking a stricter approach.

The modding team, World Travel, behind the "Liberty City Preservation Project," announced the shutdown on their Discord server. They cited "unexpected attention" and subsequent communication with Rockstar Games as the reason for removing the mod. While the specifics remain undisclosed, the team emphasized their continued passion for GTA modding.

Another Modding Casualty

Although World Travel hasn't explicitly confirmed coercion, many players suspect Rockstar Games pressured them to cease development. The phrasing suggests a discussion, but a DMCA takedown threat is likely. Independent modders, often lacking legal counsel, typically comply with such requests to avoid legal repercussions.

The community's reaction has been overwhelmingly negative, with many criticizing Rockstar and Take-Two for their aggressive stance on modding. This is particularly frustrating given the absence of Liberty City in the upcoming GTA 6, which currently features only Vice City. Concerns about impacting GTA 4 sales seem unfounded, as the mod requires ownership of GTA 5. Regardless of the reasoning, the mod is unavailable. The future of World Travel's modding endeavors remains uncertain, highlighting Take-Two's seemingly unwavering policy on modding.