NFTs are officially banned from Grand Theft Auto fan servers
Grand Theft Auto was released way back in 2013 and has been released for several generations of consoles. Despite being almost a decade old, the fanbase for this title has never died, and neither have the updates from the Rockstar Games development team.
More so, fans have gained access to tools that allow them to host their own servers to enjoy with other players. Even more to the point where people have been able to make money by taking fees when others play on their servers. A similar model especially seen on Discord.
Image credit: Rockstar Games
These servers have become a very popular form of content on sites like Twitch, as players are able to role-play different in-game scenarios with players. A fun quirky twist on the standard experience found in GTA V online when playing on the PC version of the game.
As a way to prove ownership of certain in-game items, players have implemented the NFT gaming technology we’ve grown to understand over the past year or so. These have come in the form of cars and other objects in the game. Shows who the most dedicated and skilled players are. However, this came to an abrupt end when their website was updated, marking the end of the in-game feature.
The official answer
The official Rockstar Games website was updated with the following message:
“Questions: Are role playing (RP) servers allowed?
Rockstar Games has always believed in reasonable fan creativity and wants creators to showcase their passion for our games. Third-party “Roleplay” servers are an extension of the rich variety of community-created experiences within Grand Theft Auto that we hope will continue to thrive in a safe and friendly manner for many years to come.
As such, Take-Two’s enforcement policy will be aligned with our current PC Single-Player mods policy, with priority in enforcement actions focused on: (i) misuse of Rockstar Games trademarks or game intellectual property (IP); (ii) importing or misusing other IP in the Project, including other Rockstar IP, real brands, characters, trademarks or music; (iii) commercial exploitation, including the sale of “loot boxes” for real currency or its in-game equivalent, the sale of virtual currencies, the generation of revenue via corporate sponsorship or in-game integration, or the use of cryptocurrencies or crypto-assets (e.g. ” NFTs”); (iv) create new games, stories, missions or maps; or (v) interferes with our official multiplayer or online services, including Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online.
This is not a license and does not constitute approval, endorsement or authorization of any third party project. Take-Two reserves the right to object to any third-party project, or to revise, revoke and/or withdraw this statement at any time in its sole discretion. This statement does not constitute a waiver of any rights that Take-Two may have with respect to third-party projects.”
Problems for GTA content creators
With this news has come some issues for various content creators and brands as their servers have to be edited and/or removed due to how dependent they are on the NFT trading feature. popular rapper, Lil Durk recently released their server called “Trenches” which had to be removed due to the recent news.
Their tweet said, “We have no choice but to comply with your demands, as we intend to do justice to Take-Two and Rockstar,” and “We will work with them to find an amicable resolution to this matter.”
Rockstar Games now joins Mojang, the founders of Minecraft in prohibition of integration of NFT and Web3 technology from their games. Due to the impressionable fan base of these games, it seems that teams have their fans’ safety in mind when it comes to online threats that Web3 can bring to unknown players.
However, it can be argued that GTA V, along with many others of Rockstar’s catalog, is rated “M” for Mature Audiences, meaning that NFTs and crypto games fall in line with regulation.
What do you think of this recent ban? Is it justified, or is the crackdown on NFT integration unjustified as we see the gaming space as a whole experiencing unprecedented change?
