Although the Grand Theft Auto 5 modding tool OpenIV has returned to use having fended off a takedown request from Take-Two, it does appear as though there has been a major casualty in the fracas. As it turns out, a much-anticipated Liberty City mod for Grand Theft Auto 5 has now been cancelled as part of the terms of OpenIV being made available once more.

Unfortunately, this particular Grand Theft Auto 5 mod was never going to make it through the stipulations given by Rockstar and Take-Two, with the terms and conditions of the return of OpenIV warning against "use or importation of other IP (including other Rockstar IP)" in any modding project. Since Liberty City itself counts as Rockstar intellectual property, development of the Liberty City mod had to cease.

The news was delivered to the Grand Theft Auto 5 modding community by the OpenIV team itself, with a post over on GTA Forums. "Unfortunately, our highly anticipated mod 'Liberty City in GTA 5' will not be released because it clearly contradicts with Rockstar modding policy," explained the team. "Liberty City mod is a big loss for us, since it was a huge part of our motivation to push OpenIV functionality."

The news of the mod's cancellation will no doubt be a disappointment for fans, as it was shaping up to truly be something special. However, given that it breaks such a stringent rule of Rockstar and Take-Two, it was unlikely that such a huge project would be able to continue development. However, the OpenIV team will no doubt bring something else out given some time, advising "we are currently revising our plans for the future."

The OpenIV modding tool is a hugely important part of the modding culture for Grand Theft Auto 5, and so the confirmation that Take-Two Interactive had sent the creators of the tool a cease and desist regarding the continued availability of OpenIV was extremely controversial. Fans of Grand Theft Auto made their feelings known on the matter, leaving a wave of negative feedback for Grand Theft Auto 5 to protest the decision.

Eventually, of course, OpenIV made its return, this time with the blessing of Rockstar Games and a number of rules to follow. Unfortunately, these rules do mean that some potentially fantastic ideas for mods will never see the light of day.

Source: GTA Forums