Summary
- A Grand Theft Auto 5 mod recreating Liberty City was discontinued after communication with Rockstar Games.
- Many players believe the modders were compelled to cease development.
- Despite this setback, the modding team remains dedicated to future GTA modding projects.
A highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 5 mod, allowing players to revisit Liberty City, has been shut down. This news follows the considerable excitement surrounding the mod's 2024 release.
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 legal landscape, dedicated modders persevere. Even with this project's unfortunate end, the team behind it plans to continue modding GTA, citing their passion for the game.
The developers of the GTA 5 Liberty City Preservation Project, the modding team known as World Travel, announced the mod's discontinuation on their Discord server. They cited "unexpected attention" and subsequent discussions with Rockstar Games as the reason for its removal. While specifics remain undisclosed, the team confirmed their ongoing enthusiasm for GTA modding.
Another GTA Mod Meets its End
Although World Travel hasn't explicitly stated coercion, many players suspect the mod's closure was not voluntary. The phrasing "speaking to Rockstar Games" suggests a seemingly amicable conversation, but it likely involved warnings about potential legal action, such as a DMCA takedown. Given that most modders are volunteers without legal representation, such contact often leads to project termination.
Fans are expressing their disappointment on social media, criticizing Rockstar and Take-Two's aggressive stance on modding. This reaction is amplified by the absence of a Liberty City return in the announced GTA 6, focusing instead on Vice City. Concerns about impacting GTA 4 sales are speculated, although this reasoning is contested, as playing the Liberty City Preservation Project still required owning GTA 5. Regardless of the rationale, the mod is unavailable. The hope remains that World Travel's future projects will fare better, though Take-Two's approach to modding doesn't appear likely to change.
