Rockstar Games releases restrictive modding guidelines ahead of GTA 6, banning new missions, maps, and ports

Rockstar Games has released new modding guidelines that significantly restrict what creators can do with its games, including Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption 2. The rules come ahead of GTA 6's November 2025 console launch and raise concerns about the modding community's future.

The guidelines begin with the directive "Respect our games" and establish that Rockstar retains the right to set limits on how players use its worlds and intellectual property. The company prohibits modders from expanding or modifying official storylines, plots, missions, characters, or other elements of established continuity.

Rockstar further restricts cross-title modding, stating: "Do not make mods that combine maps, locations, characters, storylines, in-game assets, or other IP from one Rockstar Games title into another title." This rule would affect mods like the recent Red Dead Redemption 2 Mexico mod, which incorporates new locations and NPCs.

The guidelines also essentially prohibit ports to unauthorized platforms. Rockstar states: "Do not modify our games to operate on consoles, hardware devices, or other platforms where they have not been officially released by Rockstar Games."

Community reaction has been strongly negative. Players on social media have compared the approach to Nintendo's modding stance, with one user commenting, "No fun allowed basically." The decision is notable given that Rockstar acquired FiveM, GTA 5's popular roleplay mod framework, which reached over 200,000 concurrent players on Steam in March 2025.

How these guidelines will affect GTA 6 modding remains unclear, particularly since a PC version has not yet been announced.