Rockstar Games has published new modding guidelines warning creators against unofficial story expansions, unauthorised ports, combining maps from different GTA games and other projects that alter its established worlds. The rules appear especially relevant ahead of GTA 6, whose eventual PC release is expected to generate substantial modding activity, and formalise restrictions Rockstar has already applied to some projects.

The guidelines also prohibit cheats affecting official online services, unlicensed multiplayer modifications, real-world military roleplay, third-party advertising and several forms of monetisation, including gambling mechanics, loot boxes, virtual-currency sales and cryptocurrency. Rockstar says it may revise the policy or remove any mod at any time, so compliance does not guarantee protection; critics may also view its stance on multiplayer mods as awkward after it acquired FiveM and RedM developer Cfx.re.