The Liberty City Preservation Project was shut down after a mutual agreement with Rockstar Games. Could this be a hint at its return in GTA 6?
Developed by the World Travel modding team, the Liberty City Preservation Project made waves in the GTA community when it was released in late December. The mod brought the entirety of Liberty City from Grand Theft Auto 4 into GTA 5, recreating its iconic setting complete with traffic, and dynamic weather.
The mod was taken down by the company after a mutual agreement. | Image Credit: Rockstar Games
Thanks to its impressive upgrades, including improved lighting, better textures, and new gameplay scenarios, it quickly gained a lot of attention. However, that attention turned out to be a double-edged sword. Just weeks after its release, the project is shutting down, as confirmed by the modding team on Discord.
The mutual agreement behind the Liberty City Preservation Project’s shutdown
Players were disappointed to see the mod shutting down. | Image Credit: Rockstar Games
Despite the excitement the mod initially generated, it has been revealed that the Liberty City Preservation Project has been taken down. Modder nkjellman, a member of the World Travel team, addressed the situation on Discord, revealing that the decision came after conversations with Rockstar Games.
He further emphasized that this was not a DMCA takedown but rather a “friendly” agreement between the modding team and Rockstar, highlighting a mutual understanding to end the project.
BREAKING: Rockstar Games has seemingly shut down the Liberty City Preservation Project mod for GTA 5.
I can’t say that I’m surprised. But, I am very disappointed. pic.twitter.com/MClfog70ZP
— GameRoll (@GameRollGTA) January 15, 2025
Update from the dev team.
Hmmm… not a DMCA? Strange. pic.twitter.com/i3HD69FEhx
— GameRoll (@GameRollGTA) January 16, 2025
how does this innocent mod hurt rockstar games in any way?
— Casaoui (@Casaoui_2) January 15, 2025
Genuinely thought they might be backpeddling on the aggressive race against modders. This mod is not for profit or affecting them in any way.
It’s a fan project. Rockstar doesn’t plan on adding L.C. to V, even a GTA IV re-release is unrelated to a project only PC players can get
— KARIM (@374_Karim) January 15, 2025
The modding team has reassured fans that their passion for modding the series would continue, even though this specific project is coming to an end. So, there is still hope to see amazing mods in the future. As nkjellman put it:
We appreciate all the support the project has received, and we look forward to continuing to pursue our passion for modding the Grand Theft Auto series.
While the community was naturally disappointed, many understood that this was a move made in good faith. From a legal standpoint, the mod used copyrighted assets from GTA IV, including its licensed music, which presented significant copyright concerns.
Still, the abrupt shutdown of the mod has left many fans annoyed, wondering whether they’ll ever be able to enjoy the enhanced Liberty City experience again, especially since there have been no rumors or leaks suggesting Rockstar plans to revisit the title anytime soon.
However, the positive relationship between the modders and Rockstar in this instance has opened up a possibility for future collaborations, leaving fans with a glimmer of hope.
Could this takedown be a sign of something bigger?
The abrupt takedown might be a sign of something significant. | Image Credit: Rockstar Games
While the decision to remove the mod might be seen as disappointing by fans, it’s not hard to understand why Rockstar would take action, given the company’s desire to preserve its intellectual property rights and avoid potential legal conflicts.
However, the timing of the takedown has sparked some speculation among the community that might have raised some major implications for the future of the series.
Could this takedown indicate that Rockstar is preparing to re-release Grand Theft Auto IV? Although this seems unlikely, another, more exciting possibility is that Rockstar is preparing to bring Liberty City back in GTA 6.
With anticipation for the upcoming game already at a fever pitch, the removal of the mod has only fueled speculation that the city could make an appearance in the next entry, potentially as part of a larger interconnected world of various series’ locations.
In the end, the removal of the Liberty City Preservation Project has left fans feeling frustrated and saddened. However, when looking at the bigger picture, it seems to suggest that Rockstar may have something significant up its sleeves.
