‘GTA V’ Publisher Targets Modders with Private Investigators

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Take-Two Interactive, the publisher behind the hit Grand Theft Auto series, is taking unprecedented steps to curb unauthorised modifications of its game, according to reports from multiple modders.

The author of FiveM, a popular online multiplayer mod for Grand Theft Auto V, yesterday claimed that the studio had sent private investigators to his home in order to shut down the project.

The modders’ post, originally published on Reddit, is copied below:

So I just got a pair of PIs at my door claiming to be sent by Take Two, handing me a phone with a person somewhere in the UK or US or whatever to ‘discuss how to cease my activities with regard to Grand Theft Auto’, that ‘they know what happened before with Activision and want to not get the lawyers involved at this time’, however 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 authors of GTAMP, another popular mod for Grand Theft Auto V, said they also received a visit from private investigators working on behalf of Take-Two.

<xforce> Hey \ Take2 approached us today too. We are going to stop GTAMP.
<arrivance> xforce, did they send a person round your houses or anything?
<xforce> Its a really sad day
<Frankity> that connections
<xforce> yea
<arrivance> jesus
<xforce> to [sic: two] private detectives

Soon afterwards, the modders shut down their website and released a statement explaining what had happened in greater detail.

We want to say something about the circumstances. There are a lot of dicussions and we have got a lot of requests. We confirm that private investigators also visited bit and xforce.

The GTAMP team urged gamers not to blame Take-Two or Rockstar Games for what had transpired in their farewell statment.

Take2 is a global player, they have to protect their commercial rights. It’s the system which force them to react.

There is another point you should think about: Without Take2 and Rockstar, we would not have this beautiful game and the opportunities to open the game for players.

…Take2 could have contacted us way worse as they did, but they chose a way without any lawyers and further dispute settlements.

FiveM modders previously had their accounts banned from the Rockstar Social Club, an online network maintained by the studio behind Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar Games, which prevented them from playing GTAV. At the time, Rockstar Games said that the FiveM mod was an “unauthorized alternate multiplayer service that contains code designed to facilitate piracy.”

Take-Two Interactive did not return our request for comment.

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