For the most part, the makers of Grand Theft Auto V encourage players to get as creative as they want with mods. Adding characters from other franchises, or recreating the openings to ’90s TV shows in GTA V keeps the game relevant and in the news after all.
Where Rockstar and publisher Take-Two draw the line are mods that impede their ability to make money from their game. As such, mods that create online multiplayer modes separate from GTA Online like FiveM and GTA:MP have been banned, even though, technically, they’re not against the rules. Rockstar and Take-Two make a pretty penny from GTA Online microtransactions, so they don’t want players spending time in a fan-made online mode they get no benefit from. It’s understandable. That said, the methods GTA V publisher Take-Two are using to “discourage” the makers of FiveM and GTA:MP are more than a little creepy.
On Reddit, the creator of FiveM claims he was recently visited by a couple private investigators who wanted to have a “friendly chat” about his mod…
“I just got a pair of private investigators at my door claiming to be sent by Take-Two, handing me a phone with a person somewhere in the UK or U.S. or whatever to ‘discuss how to cease my activities with regard to Grand Theft Auto.’ They say they ‘have tested their legal standing already and are quite certain of their point’ and ‘aren’t willing to accept any solution other than ceasing my activities.’ Oh, they also ‘couldn’t disclose any conversations they’re having with other modification developers,’ didn’t want to talk about general modification policy as ‘it was just about my case’ and admitted they ‘looked through my source code.'”
The makers of the GTA:MP have, apparently, also been contacted by Take-Two and ceased development.
So yeah, the lesson here is, mods are all fun and games until you mess with a billion-dollar company’s racket. If you do that, expect a knock on the door.
(Via VG 24/7)