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 Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar Games' parent company), 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 subsequent communication with Rockstar Games as reasons for removing the mod. While the specifics remain undisclosed, the team expressed continued passion for GTA modding.

Another Modding Casualty

While World Travel avoided explicitly stating they were forced to cease development, many players suspect legal pressure. Contact from Rockstar Games likely involved warnings about potential legal action, such as a DMCA takedown. Independent modders, lacking legal representation, often comply with such requests to avoid costly litigation.

The community's reaction has been largely 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 focuses on Vice City. Concerns about impacting GTA 4 sales seem unfounded, as playing the mod still requires owning GTA 5.

Despite the setback, World Travel's dedication to GTA modding remains. The future of their projects remains uncertain, however, given Take-Two's persistent anti-modding policies.