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 mod's popularity in 2024. While some game developers embrace modding, others, like Rockstar Games' parent company Take-Two Interactive, are known for aggressive responses.

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

Suspicions of Forced Closure

Although World Travel hasn't explicitly confirmed coercion, many players suspect the mod's closure resulted from legal pressure. The phrasing suggests a negotiation, but a DMCA takedown threat is highly probable. Independent modders, lacking legal representation, often comply with such warnings to avoid legal action.

Fan Reaction and Speculation

The community's reaction has been overwhelmingly negative, with many criticizing Rockstar and Take-Two for their stance on modding. The frustration is amplified by the absence of Liberty City in the upcoming GTA 6, which currently focuses on Vice City. Some speculate that Take-Two feared the mod might negatively impact GTA 4 sales, a claim many dispute given GTA 4's age and the requirement of owning GTA 5 to play the mod.

Despite the setback, the mod's inaccessibility remains a disappointment. The future of World Travel's modding endeavors remains uncertain, but the ongoing conflict between modding communities and Take-Two's legal approach suggests this may not be an isolated incident.