GTA 6 Map in GTA 5 Mod Suffers Inevitable Take-Two Takedown, Creator Believes It Was 'Probably a Little Too Accurate' and 'Could Have Ruined the Surprise'

The modder known as 'Dark Space,' who crafted a playable version 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 was a free-to-download creation, built using leaked coordinate data and official trailer visuals from GTA 6. The mod gained significant attention in January, attracting eager GTA fans who were keen to explore a fan-made rendition of the upcoming game's world ahead of its official release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S this fall.

However, the project came to an abrupt halt last week when Dark Space received a copyright strike notification from YouTube, prompted by a removal request from Take-Two. Faced with the potential termination of his channel due to multiple copyright strikes, Dark Space preemptively removed all download links to his mod, even though Take-Two had not yet directly requested this action. In a response video, he 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 resigned perspective, noting that he had anticipated such a move from Take-Two based on their history of targeting fan projects. 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.

Understanding Take-Two's position, Dark Space stated, "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." Consequently, he has decided to abandon the project entirely, stating, "There’s no point putting more time into something that goes directly against what they’re willing to allow."

Moving forward, Dark Space plans to focus on creating content that his audience enjoys, steering clear of any further GTA 5 mods related to GTA 6 due to the perceived risks. Meanwhile, there are growing concerns within the community that the GTA 6 mapping project could be the next target for Take-Two's legal actions.

Take-Two's history of enforcing copyright includes the recent takedown of the 'GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition' YouTube channel, which had been working on porting the 2002 game into the 2008 GTA 4 engine. A former Rockstar developer, Obbe Vermeij, defended these 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 safeguard their business, and the best hope is for them to allow mods that do not interfere with their commercial plans.

As the gaming community awaits the release of GTA 6, IGN continues to provide comprehensive coverage, including insights from former Rockstar developers on potential delays, the future of GTA Online, and the performance expectations for the game on the upcoming PS5 Pro.

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