GTA 5 is hiding a multiplayer mode from GTA 4 that was cut by Rockstar before the launch of GTA Online, revealing how the sandbox game could have played very differently, and giving us more Grand Theft Auto details to chew on as we wait on the GTA 6 release date.
In Grand Theft Auto 4, ‘Cops ‘n’ Crooks’ saw two teams – one cops, one crooks, naturally – compete across the entire Liberty City map. The crooks tried to escort their boss to a specific destination. The cops tried to stop them. In the early days of GTA online play, it was one of the defining modes.
A similar mode was scheduled to come to GTA 5, but was apparently cancelled by Rockstar in 2020. A recent datamine, however, seems to suggest that Cops ‘n’ Crooks, or a variation of the mode, was even present in GTA 5 when it launched all the way back in 2013, but never saw the light of day. This mode would have opposing teams of criminals and lawbringers battling it out over control of different areas across Los Santos. Territories would change hands between different owners, with the objective being to protect your own turf while also fighting to conquer your opponents’.
If this sounds familiar, you’re probably remembering the gang territory system from GTA: San Andreas, whereby the entirety of Los Santos was divided between Grove Street Families and the Ballas, and you had to fight rival gang members to slowly turn the map from purple to green. YouTuber Wildbrick142 shares the remnants of GTA 5’s Cops ‘n’ Crooks mode, saying there is evidence in the PC version of the game that players would have competed over at least 41 territories, but potentially more.
Though it seems unlikely Cops ‘n’ Crooks will ever release in full for GTA 5, Rockstar Games continues to post weekly GTA Online updates, bringing new cars like the Obey 10F. And in other ‘what if’ Grand Theft Auto news, a GTA film starring Eminem was reportedly pitched to Rockstar at one time, but the game-maker rejected the chance to develop it.
You can still play cops and robbers by getting involved with the best GTA 5 RP servers. There are also the best GTA 5 mods, which can transform the open-world game into something completely original, especially if you like playing as Superman or Shrek.