A planned port of Grand Theft Auto 5 to the Nintendo Switch has been canceled. The news comes as a disappointment to fans of the Grand Theft Auto series, as this would have marked the first numbered entry to arrive on a Nintendo system since the launch of GTA: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.
While Nintendo consoles have seen some Grand Theft Auto games released, the console family isn't typically one of the systems Rockstar Games focuses on. Over the years, ports have gradually brought games like GTA 3, Vice City, San Andreas, and even the original Red Dead Redemption to Nintendo consoles, but GTA 4, GTA 5, and Red Dead Redemption 2 have notably remained absent. As such, a number of fans were excited about the potential of this planned release.
GTA 5 Nintendo Switch Port Gets Canceled
A port of Grand Theft Auto 5 for the Nintendo Switch that made waves earlier in September has now been canceled. The promising fan project successfully got the game natively working on the original Switch, and the plan was to also bring it to Android devices. However, it didn't take long for Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, to step in after the fan port made the news. Now, the lead modder, Mojso, has officially announced that the port has been shut down and won't be released to the public following legal action by Take-Two Interactive.
Unfortunately, this means that both the Switch and Android versions of GTA 5 are effectively dead in the water. While the port project continued to be worked on, with the modder even getting much of GTA Online to work, trouble appeared to start brewing in mid-September. The Discord account for the modding team was banned on September 23, with the explanation being that it had broken the rules by infringing copyright. Mojso announced the project was shut down on September 28, and that the entire modding group would be shut down on October 3.
Allegedly, the GTA 5 Switch project utilized leaked source code for the game, which probably added to the troubles of the group. Mojso expressed appreciation that Take-Two showed "mercy," and has deflected all commenters' attempts to find a workaround. The project ultimately experienced the same fate as numerous other projects that have attempted to rebuild or port Rockstar Games' assets, like bringing Liberty City to GTA 5. Take-Two Interactive is notoriously protective of the IP, and many expected that this was how the unofficial port would end up.
For the time being, it seems that Nintendo Switch owners will be left wanting more of the Grand Theft Auto series on the consoles. A developer recently explained that while a GTA 6 port to Nintendo Switch 2 might be possible, it likely wouldn't happen. No announcements have been made addressing the possibility of bringing GTA 4 or GTA 5 to the system. For the moment, PlayStation and Xbox remain the best choice for playing as many GTA games as possible, especially as PC gamers are still waiting to learn more about an eventual port of GTA 6.