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 mod, developed by World Travel, gained significant popularity in 2024 before its abrupt closure.
While some game developers embrace modding, others take a more restrictive approach. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company, has a history of taking action against mods, often leading to projects being shut down. Despite this, the modding community persists.
World Travel announced the discontinuation of the "Liberty City Preservation Project" on its Discord server. They cited "unexpected attention" and subsequent discussions with Rockstar Games as the reason for removing the mod. While the specifics remain undisclosed, the team emphasized their continued passion for GTA modding.
Another Modding Casualty
While World Travel avoided explicitly stating coercion, many suspect the mod's closure resulted from pressure from Rockstar Games. The phrasing suggests a seemingly amicable conversation, but it's highly probable the team received a warning about potential legal repercussions, such as a DMCA takedown. Given the volunteer nature of most modding teams and their lack of legal representation, such warnings often lead to immediate project termination.
The mod's demise has angered many fans, who have criticized Rockstar and Take-Two for their aggressive stance on modding. This criticism is heightened by the absence of Liberty City in the currently announced GTA 6, which features Vice City instead. While concerns about impacting GTA 4 sales have been suggested, this argument is widely contested, as playing the mod still necessitates owning GTA 5.
Regardless of the reasoning, the Liberty City Preservation Project is no longer available. The modding community hopes future projects from World Travel will fare better, though Take-Two's approach to modding doesn't appear likely to change.
