Summary

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

An exciting Grand Theft Auto 5 mod that enabled players to explore Liberty City once more has been discontinued, leaving fans disappointed. This unfortunate development comes after the mod garnered significant attention and praise in 2024.

While some game developers, such as Bethesda, warmly embrace community modding, others like Nintendo and Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company, often take a more restrictive approach. Despite the challenges posed by certain game publishers, modders continue their creative endeavors. The team behind this mod remains committed to their craft and plans to continue modding for GTA.

The modding group World Travel, responsible for the Liberty City Preservation Project, announced the mod's discontinuation via their Discord channel. They cited "unexpected attention" and subsequent discussions with Rockstar Games as the reasons for taking the mod down. Although no specific details were provided about their conversation with Rockstar, the team expressed their ongoing passion for modding GTA.

Another GTA Mod Bites the Dust

While World Travel did not explicitly state they were forced to discontinue the mod, the gaming community widely suspects that legal threats played a role. The term "speaking to Rockstar Games" suggests a cordial exchange, but many believe it was a warning about potential legal action, such as a DMCA takedown. Volunteer modders, lacking legal support, typically comply with such requests to avoid litigation.

The fanbase has expressed frustration on social media, criticizing Rockstar and Take-Two for their aggressive stance against mods. Some speculate that Rockstar might be concerned about the mod affecting sales of GTA 4, despite the game's age and the fact that playing the mod still requires owning GTA 5. Regardless of the company's rationale, the Liberty City mod is no longer available. Fans hope that World Travel's future projects will fare better, though it seems unlikely that Take-Two's approach to modding will change soon.