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

The modder known as 'Dark Space' has ceased all work on his project that recreated the Grand Theft Auto 6 map within Grand Theft Auto 5, following a takedown notice from Take-Two, the owner of Rockstar Games. Dark Space had developed a free-to-download mod based on leaked coordinate data and official trailer footage of GTA 6, sharing gameplay videos on his YouTube channel that attracted significant attention from eager fans in January.

However, the modder's efforts were halted last week when he received a copyright strike from YouTube, prompted by a removal request from Take-Two. Facing the potential termination of his channel due to multiple strikes, Dark Space preemptively removed all download links to his mod and addressed the situation in a response video, hinting that the accuracy of his map recreation might have been the reason for the takedown.

In a subsequent interview with IGN, Dark Space expressed a resigned acceptance of the situation, noting that he anticipated such a response from Take-Two given their history of enforcing copyright claims. He speculated that his mod's detailed depiction of the GTA 6 map might have threatened to spoil the surprise for players, aligning with Take-Two's interest in preserving the game's launch impact.

Consequently, Dark Space has abandoned his GTA 6 mod project entirely, stating that continuing would be futile given Take-Two's clear stance against its existence. He plans to focus on creating other content that does not involve modding GTA 5 in relation to GTA 6, citing the risks involved.

Concerns are now rising that the GTA 6 community mapping project, which provided the foundation for Dark Space's mod, might be the next target for Take-Two's copyright enforcement. IGN has reached out to the group for their response.

Take-Two's history of targeting fan projects includes the recent takedown of the 'GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition' YouTube channel, which aimed to port Vice City into the GTA 4 engine. A former Rockstar developer, Obbe Vermeij, defended these actions as necessary to protect the company's business interests, particularly against projects that could compete with official releases like the Definitive Edition.

As fans await the release of GTA 6, IGN continues to provide comprehensive coverage on related developments, including insights from former Rockstar developers and industry experts on the game's potential delays and performance expectations on next-gen consoles.

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