Why are mods forbidden in GTA Online?

GTA 5 and Online have been around for the better part of a decade now. Gamers are still waiting for information on the next title and are very excited to play it. That said, the modding community associated with this game is huge and very active.

Mods are very common in the single-player mode and gamers often use multiple at a time to do various things like play as a superhero, recreate movie scenes, shoot cinematics, and more.

However, modding in GTA Online is very risky and not many players venture into that realm. Rockstar Gamers has become quite good at detecting suspicious activity and often hands out bans and account resets.

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Modding in GTA Online is a bad idea

Modding is a tainted term when uttered in the context of a multiplayer game like GTA Online. Modding does not always mean cheating, but most modders often resort to abusing their powers for monetary benefits in the game.

Contrary to popular belief, modding and using glitches is not the same thing. While mods are external programs installed by users to gain advantage, glitches are present due to mistakes made by developers.

Over time, the game's Online mode has seen its fair share of bugs, ranging from vehicle duplication to straight up activating Godmode.

Using mod menus comes with a set of consequences. To start off, a ban is almost destined for using viral and overly used mods — it's just a matter of time.

The second mistake a lot of gamers make is over using mods, which results in either monetary or reputation gain. The exponential rise in Maze bank account balances triggers a safety that notifies Rockstar to scrutinize accounts. Catching a novice modder is as simple as tallying the Job Points with the money earned on any given day.

Modding is a risky business and harmful not only when it comes to the game but in real-life as well. Most newbies try to gain the upper hand in the game by downloading and installing a free mod menu.

Little do they know that they are links with bugs and viruses planted in them. There have been numerous reports of players not only getting all of their accounts hacked (Microoft, Google, Meta, among others) but also not getting any mod menu at all.

From the perspective of a multiplayer game, most modders simply use the programs to gain an advantage over other players. Although GTA Online isn't a purely competitive game like PUBG, Apex Legends, Fortnite, or Warzone, it has become the sort, of late.

The game does not have an anti-cheat system in place and also uses peer-to-peer servers instead of dedicated ones. It probably gets some of the most traffic out of all the recent popular games. Hence, developers cannot keep a watchful eye on everyone.

That said, GTA fans should be responsible in maintaining the game's health and its community. Modding not only disrupts the balance but also ruins the experience for others.