Summary

• A GTA 5 mod featuring Liberty City was discontinued after discussions with Rockstar Games.
• Many suspect the modders were pressured to halt the project.
• Despite this setback, the modding team remains dedicated and plans to continue modding for the game.

The much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 5 mod, which brought players back to Liberty City, has been sadly discontinued. This news follows the excitement surrounding the mod's release in 2024.

While some game developers, such as Bethesda, embrace community modding, others, like Nintendo and Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar Games' parent company), frequently shut down mod projects. Despite these challenges, the modding community remains resilient. The team behind the GTA 5 Liberty City Preservation Project, known as World Travel, announced on their Discord channel that the mod was taken down after receiving "unexpected attention" and "speaking to Rockstar Games." Although the modders did not elaborate on the specifics, they expressed their ongoing passion for modding GTA.

Another GTA Mod Bites the Dust

While World Travel did not confirm being forced to discontinue the mod, many in the community believe this to be the case. The phrase "speaking to Rockstar Games" suggests a conversation, but it likely involved warnings of legal action, such as a DMCA takedown. Given that most mods are created by volunteers without legal support, such warnings often lead to the immediate cessation of projects.

The fanbase has reacted strongly, with many criticizing Rockstar and Take-Two on social media for their aggressive stance against mods. Some speculate that the companies may fear that the mod could affect sales of GTA 4, although this argument seems weak given GTA 4's age and the fact that the mod requires a copy of GTA 5 to function. Despite the reasoning behind the decision, the Liberty City Preservation Project is no longer available. Fans hope that future projects from World Travel will fare better, though it appears unlikely that Take-Two will change its approach to modding anytime soon.