GTA 5 Modder Calls Off Nintendo Switch Port Days Before Release, Expresses Gratitude for Take-Two’s Intervention

The creator behind an unofficial Nintendo Switch port of Grand Theft Auto 5 is pulling the plug on the project just days before its anticipated release, reportedly due to a cease-and-desist letter from Take-Two Interactive. This development follows a recent public challenge from the modder to Rockstar regarding its updated modding policy, which prohibits porting GTA games to other platforms.

On September 28, the modder known as Mojso announced on social media that they would be shutting down Paralympics Productions and halting work on the Switch port of Rockstar’s iconic open-world title. In the weeks leading up to this announcement, Mojso had been sharing gameplay footage and screenshots showcasing their progress on Nintendo’s hardware, with a public release on the horizon. However, Take-Two’s legal team has effectively derailed those plans.

“Paralympics Productions is shutting down on October 3rd,” Mojso stated on September 28. “Thank you to everyone who supported us through tough times and lengthy development. I apologize for not meeting your expectations and for leaving you in the lurch. I appreciate Take-Two’s mercy, so this is the definitive end.”

Mojso elaborated that the cease-and-desist from Take-Two indicated that continuing the project could lead to a full-blown lawsuit, something they wanted to avoid at all costs.

“I’m not foolish enough to go against Take-Two,” Mojso remarked on social media. They also mentioned that they couldn’t share any code or assets from the port for others to use, as that could also expose them to legal repercussions.

When someone suggested that Rockstar would likely lose in court against the modder, Mojso disagreed, stating, “I wouldn’t win in court most likely. They have solid grounds, and my cocky attitude shows real intent for ‘mayhem,’ so I can’t even appeal to a jury claiming ignorance.”

One instance of Mojso’s “cocky” behavior was a tweet from September 20 that directly referenced Rockstar’s new rules regarding mods and fan ports, which specifically ban the porting of their games to other consoles. In response to these updated rules, Mojso tweeted, “Try me, Rockstar. IDGAF.”

When someone on Twitter brought up this tweet, Mojso replied, “They tried me. What do you want me to do? Fight them in court? I didn’t expect them to hit back so hard.”