What Rockstar's Updated Guidelines Say

According to Eurogamer, Rockstar Games updated its modding guidelines earlier this month, with the changes now spreading across the internet. The new rules say modders must 'respect our games' and can no longer expand or modify Rockstar's official storylines, plots, missions, characters, or established continuity.

The guidelines also ban combining maps, assets, or characters from one Rockstar game with another, meaning cross-game mashups like Arthur Morgan in Vice City would not be allowed. Multiplayer modding is now limited to Rockstar's official Creator Platform or other direct licenses from Rockstar, and mods cannot modify games to run on consoles or hardware where they were not officially released.

Third-Party IP and Monetization Crackdown

The updated rules also block mods from using protected third-party intellectual property, including art, characters, music, photos, games, advertisements, brands, logos, and real-world locations. Eurogamer notes this could effectively end the tradition of meme mods like Shrek showing up in almost every game.

Mods also cannot be monetised unless permitted through Rockstar's official Creator Platform. The publisher says it will not tolerate abuse, bullying, threats, or harassment. Eurogamer suggests the stricter stance may mean GTA 6 won't see the same volume of zany mods that GTA 5 enjoyed.

What Remains Unknown

Eurogamer's report doesn't specify how Rockstar will enforce the new guidelines or whether existing GTA and Red Dead mods will be affected retroactively. It also remains unclear how these rules will apply to GTA 6 mods once the game eventually reaches PC.