A new report suggests that planned Grand Theft Auto V story DLC was scrapped due to internal rifts at Rockstar Games, as well as the sudden emergence and rise in popularity of GTA Online.
A new YouTube video from Mors Mutual Insurance (a reference to the insurance company that appears throughout the Grand Theft Auto series) details some of the information that was leaked as part of a hack on Rockstar Games.
While it was known for years that GTA 5 did have story DLC planned that was ultimately scrapped, the report suggests that creative differences, as well as the success of GTA Online, played a large role.
The video notes that disagreements between Rockstar founders the Houser brothers and Leslie Benzies, the former president of Rockstar North and a producer on Grand Theft Auto V, eroded any chance of story DLC. Emails leaked by hackers indicate that the Houser brothers were interested in releasing more single-player projects and content, while Benzies was pushing for more live service and online projects.
The disagreement became so severe that Benzies eventually took a hiatus from Rockstar before leaving his role and suing Take-Two (a settlement was reached out of court before things went any further).
Following the split, Rockstar began development on Red Dead Redemption 2 while still supporting GTA Online in the process. As a result, however, single-player projects like Bully 2, a new Midnight Club, and story-related DLC for GTA 5 were never pursued.
Rockstar hack comes after other high-profile companies were targeted
More leaked content includes GTA 5’s canceled single-player DLC and a GTA 6 PC script as well as miscellaneous game content like a lock-picking mechanic, Bully 2 concepts, and even some assets from canceled PS3 exclusive, Agent.
Currently, it’s unclear who is behind the leak, with Twitter users claiming that the source is a “random British guy” who has a history of hacking and has been sued by Rockstar before. The news comes just a week after one of the hackers responsible for the Grand Theft Auto VI hack was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order for his role in the crime.
The news also comes following the large-scale hack of Insomniac Games, which saw details of the developers’ plans come to light. Other companies, like Ubisoft, have also been the target of hackers attempting to release information.
