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 considerable popularity in 2024. While some game developers embrace modding, others, like Rockstar Games' parent company Take-Two Interactive, take a more aggressive stance.
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 the reason for removing the mod. While the specifics remain undisclosed, the team expressed continued dedication to GTA modding, describing it as their passion.
Another Casualty of Aggressive Mod Policies
Although World Travel hasn't explicitly confirmed coercion, many players suspect the mod's closure resulted from pressure from Rockstar Games. The phrasing suggests a discussion, but the likelihood of legal threats, such as a DMCA takedown, is high. Independent modders, often lacking legal representation, frequently succumb to such pressure.
The mod's fanbase has expressed significant disappointment, criticizing Rockstar and Take-Two for their aggressive anti-modding policies. This reaction is amplified by the absence of a confirmed Liberty City return in GTA 6, with only Vice City currently showcased. Concerns about impacting GTA 4 sales have been suggested, but this argument is widely disputed, as playing the mod still requires owning GTA 5, and GTA 4 is an older title.
Despite the setback, the mod is no longer available. The future of World Travel's modding endeavors remains uncertain, but their passion persists, even in the face of Take-Two's seemingly unwavering stance on modding.
