Trevor shooting surrounded by fire in GTA 5

Could Rockstar Release Paid GTA Online Mods?

Take-Two is receiving serious heat this week after they shut down a handful of the most popular GTA mod platforms.  Could they be gearing up for paid mods?

Earlier this week, Take-Two issued takedown notices for the ever-popular Open IV, Force Hax, and Menyoo.  Force Hax and Menyoo are slightly more understandable cases, as they were paid-for mod platforms that allowed players to cheat in GTA Online, disrupting sessions for fellow gamers and raising cash from the skies at will.  Open IV, on the other hand, was the beloved option for gamers looking to enhance their solo games in most cases and was especially popular with GTA IV.  Unfortunately, it appears there was also compatibility with GTA Online.

With these mod options being around for some time it begs the question: why ban them now?

Open IV especially has added more to the GTA gaming community than most.  I personally snapped up GTA IV for the PC just to play it with a ton of crazy mods that weren’t possible on my Xbox 360 version.  I know of many gamers who similarly have purchased GTA for a second or even third time on the PC just to use Open IV to play as Ironman, a cop, the nanosuit soldier from Crysis, or even a goat.  Yes.

Why would Take-Two remove the facility to mod their game, even in single-player?  Why sacrifice such a fundamental portion of the community just for the relatively small portion of players who take things too far?

As with everything related to business, the answer lies in money.  Players making money rain from the sky means there are fewer players purchasing the in-game shark cards, reducing the profits that could be earned.

But, what if it goes deeper than that?  What if Rockstar is preparing to launch their own version of paid mods, especially for GTA V and Online?

Players have been crying out for the chance to play with mods in GTA Online, but many don’t dare risk having their accounts banned for the privilege.  If Rockstar introduced a paid-for mod-only server, allowing players to play the game as they wish, there would undoubtedly be players willing to pay.  The market has already been proven by Force Hax and Menyoo, and if a similar monthly rate was charged Rockstar would also sweep up the other players who have enviously watched the carnage being caused by modders in GTA Online.

Would you pay for a GTA Online mod server?