GamesOpen WorldGrand Theft Auto VGTA 5 is effectively open source now, and fans and modders are scrambling to figure out what that meansWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesOpen WorldGrand Theft Auto VGTA 5 is effectively open source now, and fans and modders are scrambling to figure out what that meansWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Pretty much all the information on this leak comes from community discussion on social media, a lot of which is - no surprise - quite contradictory. The one thing that seems certain is that the GTA 5 source code leakedin September 2022 alongside all that footage of GTA 6. The GTA 5 source code was privately traded among cheat makers and other hackers since then, and only now has been made available through a series of public downloads that began on December 24 - which, of course, publisher Take-Two is issuing takedowns against.
Modders quickly started playing with that source code, and within days, footage of a custom build of GTA 5 was already online. In theory, this sort of source code reveal could turn GTA 5 into a modder’s paradise. With the game’s building blocks out there for everyone to see, there should be no limits to the kinds of mods that could now come to GTA 5. Some fans are already hopeful for full-on DLC-style story expansions, and those don’t seem far out of the realm of possibility.
Holy hell. One of the most popular games in the world is now open source.Can’t wait to see the mods now https://t.co/flpits3NdCDecember 26, 2023
Holy hell. One of the most popular games in the world is now open source.Can’t wait to see the mods now https://t.co/flpits3NdCDecember 26, 2023
The issue is thatTake-Two has already shown a pretty unfriendly stance toward mods, and I’d certainly expect the company to be even more aggressive about taking down mods built with source code that was obtained and released illegally.Rockstar developers have rightly been critical of the effects leaks have on their work, and I doubt there would be much goodwill toward mods derived from those leaks.
It doesn’t look like this leak should have much effect on the cheating scene in GTA 5, regardless. As longtime Rockstar community memberTez2 notes, this code has been available to some cheat developers since 2022, and Rockstar has developed its more recent anti-cheat efforts with these exploits in mind.
There are already plenty of old-fashionedGTA 5 modsout there.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”