By Sagar V. Mankar 
The Liberty City Preservation Project, a highly ambitious Grand Theft Auto 5 mod that brought GTA 4’s iconic New York-inspired setting to the game, has been shut down following discussions between its developers and Rockstar Games. This closure marks the end of a project that had been in development since 2018.
Created by the talented team at World Travel, the recently released modification offered players:
- Functional Map & Radar: Includes a fully functional map and radar of Liberty City with accurate blips.
- Seamless Travel: Easy travel to Liberty City using an airport marker or character switch.
- Authentic Traffic System: Liberty City traffic with iconic vehicles and unique license plates.
- Umbrellas in the Rain: NPCs use umbrellas when it rains, a feature from GTA 4.
- Fully Functional Public Transit: Operational subways for travel around Liberty City.
- Improved Graphics: Enhanced lighting and improved textures.
Lead modder nkjellman announced the project’s end on Discord, stating: “Due to the unexpected attention that our project received and after speaking with Rockstar Games, we have decided to take down the Liberty City Preservation project.” The team expressed gratitude for community support and indicated they would continue modding GTA games in other ways.
Historical Context
This isn’t the first time Rockstar has intervened in similar projects. In 2017, the company established clear guidelines about modding, stating they would generally allow:
- Single-player mods
- Non-commercial projects
- Content respecting third-party IP rights
However, they specifically prohibited the “use or importation of other IP,” including their own games’ content, which likely led to this mod’s removal.
Rockstar also has a history of suppressing fan projects. Notably, the company previously ceased development on fan-made remakes of GTA 3 and Vice City ahead of the troubled launch of GTA Trilogy: Definitive Edition. Now, this fueled speculation that Rockstar is protecting its own plans for future remasters, possibly including the rumored GTA 4 remaster, which some believe could still be in development.
This controversy comes at a pivotal time for Rockstar, with fans eagerly awaiting updates on GTA 6, rumored to release in fall 2025. The developer dropped the first trailer back in December 2023, which has already gained over 200 million views on YouTube.