Patankar argues that those behind FiveM shouldn't be penalized just because the mod fails to check if the underlying game is a legitimate copy. 'Even with a legit copy, I can't open FiveM and end up in GTA:O or SP.' ' FiveM with whatever copy you have doesn't act as a gateway towards the SP or GTA:O portions,' he said.

Despite this, he insisted that the mod doesn't help users get unpaid access to either the single player (SP) game or the traditional Grand Theft Auto: Online mode.

Patankar did concede that FiveM does get around the 'GTA V launcher,' which usually gates the game's content behind some digital rights management. While Patankar didn't contribute code to the FiveM mod directly, he says he was caught up in Rockstar's bans for promoting the mod through online channels like Reddit. 'FiveM is not a crack for GTA V nor does it actively try to facilitate piracy,' said Qais Patankar, who goes by qaisjp online. That statement got us wondering: Is a mod that merely provides online gameplay on alternate servers really on the same level as simply making an unauthorized copy of a game? The answer, as it turns out, depends quite a bit on what you mean by the phrase 'facilitating piracy.' “It does not behave like a crack” Yesterday, a Rockstar representative told Ars that the bans were made because the mod is 'an unauthorized alternate multiplayer service that contains code designed to facilitate piracy.'

Further Reading GTA V modders banned for creating alternate online space Last week, Rockstar banned a number of Grand Theft Auto V players associated with the 'FiveM' mod, which offers players an online playspace separate from the game's official 'Grand Theft Auto: Online' mode.

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