Take-Two Interactive has ordered Rage: MP, a popular multiplayer modding platform for GTA 5, to shut down by August 31, 2026. The company cited its own licensing agreement, which designates FiveM as the only authorized platform for GTA multiplayer modifications.
Rage: MP developers announced the closure in a forum post on Monday, saying they received a formal request from Take-Two and Rockstar Games to cease operations. "Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive have made it clear that FiveM is the only authorized platform for GTAV multiplayer modding, as defined in their Platform License Agreement," the developers wrote. They are asking all server owners to migrate to FiveM before the deadline.
The shutdown marks another chapter in a contentious relationship between the publisher and the modding community. In 2015, Take-Two and Rockstar sparked backlash when they suggested they might ban mods from GTA 5, even in single-player. The companies later clarified that modding was permitted and encouraged, though they reserved the right to police anything threatening to GTA Online's stability.
That same year, Rockstar attempted to shut down FiveM itself, alleging it hosted unauthorized multiplayer services designed to facilitate piracy. The legal battle eventually resolved in an unexpected partnership. In August 2023, Rockstar acquired Cfx.re, the team behind FiveM, following a surge in the GTA roleplay community that had grown entirely on the back of modding.
The acquisition fueled speculation that Rockstar was integrating modding infrastructure into GTA 6 itself. Some fans hope the next entry will include official modding tools for consoles, similar to how Bethesda popularized community creations in Skyrim and Fallout 4. Nothing has been confirmed.
The Rage: MP shutdown comes as Take-Two prepares for GTA 6's launch on November 19. The game was originally scheduled for release this week before the delay was announced. Take-Two has signaled confidence in the new date and plans to launch an extensive marketing campaign this summer.
Author Emily Chen: "The shift to FiveM gives Rockstar the control it craves over GTA multiplayer, but it also signals the publisher is finally taking modding seriously as part of the core experience rather than a threat to manage."
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