GTA 5: Exploring the legality behind modded accounts

Gamers have used mods ever since the GTA franchise started enjoying the limelight. While many are of the opinion that the use of mods in GTA 5 is completely fine, many are scared to use them as they believe that mods are illegal. In this article, we discuss if GTA mods are legal or not.

What are mods?

Mod is the short form for modification. As the name suggests, mods can be used to modify the character, gameplay or ambience of the game. GTA games are known for having several player-made mods. One of the most famous mods was the iCEnhancer graphics modification by Hayssam Keilany, which made GTA IV look like a dream.

Statement of Rockstar Games on GTA mods

Rockstar Games, the company behind the GTA franchise, has never been against the modding community.

In a Question-Answer session which took place way back in 2015, Rockstar Games said, “No one has been banned for using single-player modifications, and you should not worry about being banned or being relegated to the cheater pool just for using single-player PC mods”.

While clarifying about the mods used in the multiplayer mode, Rockstar Games stated, “Our primary focus is on protecting GTA Online against modifications that could give players an unfair advantage, disrupt gameplay, or cause griefing. It also bears mentioning that because game mods are by definition unauthorised, they may be broken by technical updates, cause instability, or affect your game in other unforeseen ways.”

Are GTA 5 mods legal?

Are GTA 5 mods legal? Image: YouTube.

From the above statements, it can be concluded that using mods in the single-player mode of GTA 5 is entirely legal. However, things change when it comes to using mods in the multiplayer mode.

Some mods may give players an added advantage over others, which is unfair. Hence, it is not advised to use mods in GTA Online as it can result in a permanent ban of your account.