Summary

  • A GTA 5 mod featuring Liberty City was shut down after "speaking to Rockstar Games."
  • Many players suspect that the modders were forced to discontinue the project.
  • Despite setbacks, the modding team remains passionate and aims to continue modding for the game.

An incredible Grand Theft Auto 5 mod that allowed players to revisit Liberty City has been shut down. The unfortunate news arrives following the fanfare the GTA 5 mod received back in 2024.

While some game companies, like Bethesda, are completely open to seeing their games modded by the public, others go in the complete opposite direction. Attentive gamers have likely seen mods shut down by Nintendo and Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, time and time again. Despite the litigious nature of some game publishers, modders keep at it, and even with this unfortunate development, the team says it plans to continue modding for the game.

GTA 5 Red Dead Redemption 2 Sales
Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA 5 Are Still Selling Very Well

Both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 continue to sell strongly across multiple regions, building on Rockstar's legacy of success.

The modding team behind GTA 5's Liberty City Preservation Project has sadly announced that the mod has been discontinued. The mod group, named World Travel, explained in its Discord channel that the project had received "unexpected attention" and that after "speaking to Rockstar Games," the team decided to take the mod down. No further information was shared by the modding team regarding what happened, but they did state that they're still interested in modding for GTA, calling it their "passion."

Another GTA Mod Bites the Dust

Although World Travel hasn't explicitly stated that they were forced to shut down the mod, given history, it's what many players suspect. "Talking" with Rockstar Games makes it sound more like an amicable conversation, but it's likely that the team was warned that continuing to make the mod public would result in legal action, like a DMCA takedown. Considering most mods are made entirely by volunteers with no legal representation, DMCA takedowns - or even simply being contacted by the dev - typically leads to a prompt closure of mod projects.

Fans of this particular GTA mod aren't happy with what's happened. Many have called out Rockstar and Take-Two on social media, slamming the companies for being so aggressive towards mods of their games. Players might be more understanding if the GTA 6 was slated to return to Liberty City, but so far, only Vice City and its surrounding locales have been showcased. It's possible that the company was concerned that the mod could impact its sales of GTA 4. However, many would likely object to this logic, as GTA 4 is growing older all the time, and playing the Liberty City Preservation Project mod would still require owning a copy of GTA 5. Regardless of the publisher's reasoning, though, this mod is unfortunately no longer accessible. One can only hope that any further GTA projects from World Travel are luckier, but it doesn't seem like Take-Two's actions regarding mods is going to change anytime soon.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Grand Theft Auto 5 Tag Page Cover Art
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Systems
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget
Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
Display card main info widget
Released
September 17, 2013
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Developer(s)
Rockstar North
Publisher(s)
Rockstar Games
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto 5 showing main characters Michael, Trevor, and Franklin
Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

When a young street hustler, a retired bank robber and a terrifying psychopath find themselves entangled with some of the most frightening and deranged elements of the criminal underworld, the U.S. Government and the entertainment industry, they must pull off a series of dangerous heists to survive in a ruthless city in which they can trust nobody, least of all each other.

Grand Theft Auto V for PC offers players the option to explore the award-winning world of Los Santos and Blaine County in resolutions of up to 4k and beyond, as well as the chance to experience the game running at 60 frames per second.

The game offers players a huge range of PC-specific customization options, including over 25 separate configurable settings for texture quality, shaders, tessellation, anti-aliasing and more, as well as support and extensive customization for mouse and keyboard controls. Additional options include a population density slider to control car and pedestrian traffic, as well as dual and triple monitor support, 3D compatibility, and plug-and-play controller support.

Engine
Rockstar Advanced Game Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
no
Cross Save
yes
Franchise
Grand Theft Auto
Steam Deck Compatibility
yes
PC Release Date
April 14, 2015
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
March 15, 2022
PS5 Release Date
March 15, 2022
Genre(s)
Open-World, Action
How Long To Beat
32 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
PS Plus Availability
Extra & Premium
File Size Xbox Series
84 GB (July 2023)
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty