Rockstar Issues Major Update Before 'GTA 6' Release

Published Sep 22, 2026, 12:47 PM EDT

Patricia is the former editor-in-chief of Kotaku, where she spent a decade writing and editing. Prior to that, she served as the Culture Editor at Polygon, and as a reporter at The Verge. Hernandez specializes in Pokémon TCG, Nintendo, and offbeat internet culture stories.

The studio behind the popular open-world games recently shared new modding guidelines that outline what is and isn't allowed within user-generated content. The guidelines apply to both the GTA and Red Dead Redemption franchises, but let's be real. Red Dead Redemption 2 is still selling well, but the game is basically dead on PC. Grand Theft Auto 5 is still trucking along on the platform, but the game doesn't really need modding rules a decade after its PC port. Rockstar's announcement thus reads like a preemptive guide to what players can do on the PC version of GTA 6, whenever that arrives.

GTA 6's modding guidelines, explained

Some of the studio's policies are straightforward. Rockstar does not want people making or sharing cheat menus that disrupt online play, nor does it allow the use of third-party intellectual property. The studio wants to avoid pornographic, extremist, or self-harm mod content. GTA fans cannot use mods to bully or harass other people, and they certainly can't monetize any mods.

The new modding guidelines have some surprising inclusions as well. The first item Rockstar describes begins by asking players to "respect" the studio's games. What does that mean? Here's Rockstar:

Do not expand or modify Rockstar Games' official storylines, plots, missions, characters, or other elements of our established continuity.

Do not make mods that combine maps, locations, characters, storylines, in-game assets, or other IP from one Rockstar Games title into another title.

Later on, the post states that modders cannot make content that promotes or simulates "conflict" or "military" situations involving real-world organizations. Additionally, Rockstar forbids the use of its own voice-over performances.

How Rockstar plans to enforce these rules remains to be seen. While many high-profile GTA 5 mods revolve around quality of life improvements, some of the most viral mods of the last decade violate these rules. Things like the Spider-Man mod or branded car mods technically aren't allowed under these edicts. The guidelines theoretically prevent common creations, like story or character mods. Sorry, Jason and Lucia fanfic writers.

Some may find these updated guidelines disappointing, but it's not all bad news. Rockstar has made it clear that it intends to put its full support behind the franchise's vibrant role-playing community on GTA Online — most of whom are on PC.