GTA 6 Map Mod in GTA 5 Taken Down by Take-Two, Creator Says It Was 'Too Accurate'

The modder known as 'Dark Space,' who created a playable recreation of the Grand Theft Auto 6 map within Grand Theft Auto 5, has officially ceased all work on the project following a takedown notice from Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar Games. Dark Space's mod, which was free to download, was based on leaked coordinate data and official trailer shots of GTA 6. The mod gained significant attention in January, attracting GTA fans eager to explore a fan-made version of the upcoming game's world ahead of its official release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S this fall.

The situation escalated last week when Dark Space received a copyright strike notification from YouTube after Take-Two issued a removal request. Multiple copyright strikes could lead to the termination of a YouTube channel, prompting Dark Space to remove all download links to his mod proactively, even though Take-Two had not yet demanded this action. In a response video, Dark Space criticized Take-Two, suggesting that the accuracy of his mod's depiction of the GTA 6 map might have been the reason for the takedown.

In a subsequent interview with IGN, Dark Space expressed a more philosophical stance, noting that he anticipated such a response from Take-Two based on their history of takedowns. He acknowledged that his mod, which was partly based on an online community mapping project using leaked coordinates, might have spoiled the surprise of GTA 6's map for players. "If you spent years building out this amazing game world just to have some YouTuber spoil the experience of the map's shape, size, and vibe... I'd want it removed too," he remarked.

As a result, Dark Space has completely abandoned his GTA 6 mod project, stating, "Well they clearly do not want this project to exist... There’s no point putting more time into something that goes directly against what they’re willing to allow." He plans to focus on creating other content that his audience might enjoy, steering clear of further GTA 5 mods related to GTA 6 due to the perceived risks.

There are now concerns that the GTA 6 community mapping project could be the next target for Take-Two's legal actions. IGN has reached out to the group for their comments on the situation.

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Take-Two has a track record of enforcing copyrights against fan projects, as seen with the recent takedown of the YouTube channel behind the 'GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition,' which ported elements from the 2002 game into the 2008 GTA 4 engine. A former Rockstar developer, Obbe Vermeij, defended these actions, stating that Take-Two and Rockstar are protecting their business interests. He pointed out that mods like the 'VC NextGen Edition' directly compete with official releases like the Definitive Edition, and projects like the Liberty City preservation could interfere with potential remasters.

While fans await the release of GTA 6, they can stay updated with IGN's coverage, including insights from a former Rockstar developer on potential delays, comments from Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick about the future of GTA Online, and expert analysis on whether the PS5 Pro can run GTA 6 at 60 frames per second.