The modder known as 'Dark Space,' who created a playable version of the Grand Theft Auto 6 map within Grand Theft Auto 5, has officially ended his project following a copyright takedown notice from Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar Games. This mod, which was based on leaked coordinate data and official trailer visuals from GTA 6, allowed fans to explore a fan-made version of the anticipated game world before its official release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S later this year.
Dark Space shared gameplay videos on YouTube, which quickly gained attention from the GTA community eager for any glimpse of GTA 6. However, the project came to an abrupt halt last week when Take-Two issued a copyright strike against Dark Space's YouTube channel, leading to the removal of all download links for the mod. Despite not being directly asked by Take-Two to remove the mod, Dark Space complied and used his platform to express frustration with the company's actions, hinting that the accuracy of his map recreation might have been too close to the real thing.
In a subsequent interview with IGN, Dark Space expressed a more resigned view, noting that he had anticipated such a response given Take-Two's history of takedowns against fan projects. He speculated that his mod's basis on a community mapping project using leaked coordinates might have threatened to spoil the surprise of GTA 6's map for players.
Dark Space acknowledged the rationale behind Take-Two's move, suggesting that if he were in their position, protecting years of work on a game's world from being spoiled by a fan project would be a priority. As a result, he has decided to discontinue the project entirely and will not pursue further GTA 5 mods related to GTA 6, citing the risks involved.
This incident has raised concerns within the GTA community about the future of other fan-driven projects, particularly the GTA 6 community mapping project, which could be the next target for Take-Two's legal actions.
Take-Two has a track record of enforcing copyrights, as seen in their recent takedown of the 'GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition' YouTube channel. A former Rockstar developer, Obbe Vermeij, defended the company's actions, emphasizing that Take-Two and Rockstar are protecting their commercial interests. He noted that while it's understandable for fans to be upset, companies are expected to protect their business, and the best hope for fans is that harmless mods are allowed to continue.
As the gaming community awaits the release of GTA 6, discussions continue around various topics related to the game, including potential delays, the future of GTA Online, and the capabilities of the PS5 Pro in running the game at 60 frames per second.
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