While everyone is busy celebrating the release of Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced and the Oscar Guzman Flies Again update, Take-Two Interactive's lawyers continue to work non-stop to protect the integrity of Rockstar Games' best-selling title. The company's most recent battle against cheating tools, which escalated with the release of the BattlEye update, has scored its latest victory, with more cheat providers contemplating ceasing support.
2Take1 has announced its closure on Discord following legal pressure from Take-Two after managing to outlast many of its competitors since its release in 2017. The developers behind 2Take1 revealed the news to their community via Discord, stating that they had received an email from Take-Two's legal team. The message was clear and direct: shut down the menu and website, or face legal action. Faced with the prospect of a costly legal battle, the 2Take1 team decided to comply with the demands and cease all operations.
As previously mentioned, the company has been ramping up its efforts to combat cheating, perhaps to set a stronger precedent ahead of the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 later this year. The introduction of BattlEye last year has allowed Rockstar to ban numerous cheaters and has put increased pressure on mod menu developers.
The closure of 2Take1 is not an isolated incident. Reports suggest that other popular cheat menus are also in Take-Two's crosshairs. Another well-known mod menu, Stand, has reportedly received a similar legal notice. However, the Stand team claims that Take-Two lacks personal information to pursue legal action against them effectively.
The company seems determined to clean up the online experience and create a more level playing field for legitimate players. The targeting of these mod menus is likely part of a broader strategy to improve the overall gaming experience in Grand Theft Auto Online. Many players who have long suffered from the disruptive effects of cheaters using this tool are likely to welcome the news. The successive shutdowns may lead to a noticeable decrease in certain types of cheating and hacking activities.
Take-Two's crusade against mods has been a hit-or-miss with Grand Theft Auto fans. Many welcome these efforts to crackdown on cheats and mod menus in GTA Online, but Take-Two does have a tendency to take down fan-favorite projects, most recently demonstrating its willingness to go to extreme lengths to protect their properties against GTA Vice City: Next-Gen Edition and the Liberty City Preservation Project.
Certain issues regarding the introduction of BattlEye also remain unaddressed. For example, Rockstar still has yet to resolve the lack Linux support for GTA Online and it's unlikely it will ever be supported.
