GTA 5 Liberty City Mod Shut Down

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 considerable excitement surrounding the "Liberty City Preservation Project" in 2024.

While some game developers embrace modding, others take a more restrictive approach. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company, has a history of taking action against mods, similar to Nintendo. Despite this, the modding community persists. The developers behind the mod, World Travel, announced the project's closure on their Discord server, citing "unexpected attention" and subsequent discussions with Rockstar Games. They offered no specifics but confirmed their ongoing passion for GTA modding.

Another Casualty of Aggressive Mod Policies

While World Travel didn't explicitly state they were compelled to shut down, many suspect legal pressure from Rockstar Games. The phrasing suggests a seemingly amicable conversation, but it's likely the team received warnings about potential legal repercussions, such as a DMCA takedown. Independent modders, lacking legal representation, often comply swiftly when contacted by developers.

The closure has angered many fans, who have criticized Rockstar and Take-Two's aggressive stance on modding. This is particularly frustrating given the absence of a Liberty City return in the upcoming GTA 6, which currently features Vice City. Concerns about GTA 4 sales impacting are speculated, but this argument is weak, as GTA 4 is aging, and the mod still requires GTA 5 ownership. Regardless, the mod is inaccessible, leaving fans hoping for better luck for World Travel's future projects. Take-Two's approach to modding, however, shows little sign of changing.