One person working on bringing GTA 5 to Nintendo Switch mocked Rockstar Games, and that very moment a cease and desist arrived at them.
Mojso, a modder, had plans to put GTA 5 and GTA Online on Nintendo Switch through modified versions of the console. Following Rockstar Games posting its guidelines for modding, which ban unofficial ports, the modder responded with: “Try me Rockstar, [I don’t give a f**k.]”
The Mockery
Three days later, the modder’s Discord server was taken down for copyright infringement. Many warned them about how litigious Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two are, but the modder suggested they weren’t worried. “Copyright infringement is anything but enforced in Serbia,” they said.
The Taunt
Within days, the modder confirmed receiving a cease and desist from Take-Two Interactive and thanked the company for its “mercy.” Because of this, the port will never come out, since Mojso has said they do not wish to risk any legal issues.
They wrote “Paralympics Productions is shutting down on October 3rd. Thank you everyone who supported us through tough times and lengthy development. I am sorry for not fulfilling your expectations and leaving you high and dry. I am thankful for Take-Two’s mercy so this is the definitive end,”.
There was an expectation that Rockstar would take some action, even though it came from people pointing back at the modder’s post about taunting Rockstar, Mojso noted that they do.
The Response
“They tried me,” Mojso said. “[What the] f**k [do] you want me to do? Fight with them in court? I wasn’t expecting them to hit back hard.”
What Went Down
A leaked source code from GTA 5 enabled the modder’s port to happen at all, and that same code has also brought about a great many leaks and problems along with it.
Three days after Rockstar posted its modding guidelines, the Discord server was shut down for copyright infringement. Mojso responded with defiance, and kept working while continuing to talk about it.
The Cease and Desist
Within days of the taunt, Take-Two sent the cease and desist. The modder took it as mercy, describing the company’s response as merciful instead of hostile.
The modder has put an end to Mojso’s operations, with the closure landing on October 3rd. Fans are being told that the person behind the project is sorry for letting them down.
What Comes Next
Mojso has shut down Paralympics Productions, and with it the port is dead. Fans were thanked by the company for their support during a lengthy development process. The closing message from the company carries an apology for not delivering what its audience wanted.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Rockstar posts modding guidelines | Not specified |
| Mojso posts taunt | Three days before Discord shutdown |
| Discord server taken down | Three days after the taunt |
| Take-Two sends cease and desist | Less than a week after the taunt |
| Paralympics Productions shuts down | October 3rd |
A big corporation has lawyers, and those lawyers never look away. When a modder makes fun of a company in public, a response is likely to follow — and here, it came fast and firm.
The warnings were met with defiance from Mojso before a quick retreat followed. Now the port is abandoned, the company is shutting down, and the taunt has found its mark precisely as intended.
Source material: “GTA 5 Modder Taunts Rockstar With Unofficial Nintendo Switch Port, Gets Cease and Desist from Take-Two,” IGN.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.