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 after the modding team, World Travel, engaged with Rockstar Games. The mod, Liberty City Preservation Project, gained significant popularity upon its 2024 release, but its sudden removal has sparked controversy among players.

While some game developers embrace modding, others, including Rockstar Games' parent company Take-Two Interactive, are known for aggressively pursuing the takedown of fan-made modifications. While World Travel's statement mentions "speaking to Rockstar Games," many speculate the team faced pressure to cease distribution, potentially to avoid legal action such as a DMCA takedown. The lack of legal representation common among modding teams often leads to swift project closures when confronted by game publishers.

The modding team expressed their disappointment but confirmed their ongoing passion for GTA modding in their Discord announcement. They haven't explicitly confirmed being forced to shut down the mod, but the circumstances strongly suggest this was the case.

This decision has drawn considerable backlash from the GTA community, with many criticizing Rockstar and Take-Two for their aggressive stance towards modding. The frustration is amplified by the absence of a confirmed Liberty City return in the upcoming GTA 6, which currently focuses on Vice City. While Take-Two's potential concern about impacting GTA 4 sales is speculated, many argue this is illogical, as playing the mod still requires owning GTA 5.

The Liberty City Preservation Project is no longer available. The modding community hopes future projects from World Travel will fare better, but Take-Two's approach to modding appears unlikely to change in the near future.