Rockstar Games is making a surprising move by officially supporting modding in Grand Theft Auto V. Despite its long history of taking legal action against modders, the company has announced an upcoming modding tool designed to assist the community in adapting their creations for the game’s latest PC upgrade.
This tool is being developed by Cfx.re, the team behind FiveM and RedM, which Rockstar acquired in 2023. It will allow modders to convert assets to be compatible with the latest enhanced version of GTA 5, ensuring that older modifications remain functional despite the recent update.
What the New Modding Tool Offers
The upcoming tool is designed to convert various GTA 5 assets, including:
- .ydd – Multiple drawable dictionaries
- .ydr – Generic models, geometry, and textures
- .yft – Complex skeleton models for vehicles, pedestrians, and destructible objects
- .ytd – Texture dictionaries
However, certain file types, such as .ycd and .ybn, will not require conversion, meaning some mods may still work without adjustments.
Why This is a Big Deal
For years, Rockstar has aggressively shut down mods that it deemed a threat to its business, even taking legal action against modders and sending cease-and-desist orders to projects it didn’t approve of. The sudden decision to support modding officially represents a major shift in the company’s stance—possibly influenced by the backlash following the removal of community-made mods in the past.
While no release date has been confirmed, Cfx.re has assured that the tool is nearly complete and will come with detailed documentation for modders.
The move suggests that Rockstar may be trying to regain favor with the modding community, especially after backlash over the PC upgrade, which broke compatibility with many existing mods. Whether this marks a genuine change of heart or simply an attempt to control the modding scene remains to be seen.
