Ex-Developer Claims Midnight Club 5 Was Scrapped Due to Its Neglected Status in the Rockstar Franchise

It’s been almost two decades since the last entry in the Midnight Club series hit the scene, but there was a time when Midnight Club 5 was in the works. A recent interview with a former developer from Rockstar revealed that the project was ultimately scrapped due to creative disagreements, missed deadlines, and a lack of appreciation for the team behind the franchise.

In a conversation with an outlet, former senior designer Kris Roberts shared that when he departed from Rockstar in 2010, a dedicated team at Rockstar San Diego was still pushing forward with the Midnight Club series.

“I think they had even prototyped some cities; I remember London being one of the locations they were developing,” Roberts noted. “There was genuine effort, and they were starting on Midnight Club 5, or whatever it was going to be called, but it didn’t last, and it got canceled.”

Roberts explained that the cancellation stemmed from several issues, primarily a significant conflict between Rockstar’s headquarters in New York City and the San Diego team over missed development timelines. However, that wasn’t the only problem.

“I think that was a big part of it, but there were also issues with creative control,” he said, recalling his experience working on Red Dead Redemption. “The San Diego team felt that, in any other studio, Midnight Club would be recognized as a solid game. We believed we never received the accolades or recognition we deserved. From New York’s perspective, we were always seen as ‘not GTA.’ Being the overlooked project was tough; we knew we were doing great work, but we were treated as second-class.”

Roberts also mentioned that data indicated Midnight Club was performing well against competitors like Need for Speed and Burnout, with players reportedly spending more time in Rockstar’s racing game than in its rivals. Unfortunately, this success didn’t seem to resonate with Rockstar’s management.

Now, nearly 20 years after Midnight Club: Los Angeles launched on Xbox 360 and PS3, there’s still no sign of a new installment, remake, or remaster. While it might seem like Rockstar has forgotten about Midnight Club, the series was mentioned during an earnings call in 2022, suggesting that it hasn’t been completely erased from memory. However, a return to the franchise still seems unlikely for the time being.