Back in August 2023, Rockstar Games acquired the team and tech behind FiveM, a Grand Theft Auto Online mod it had previously tried to shut down. FiveM enables the use of custom cars, maps, and weapons among other content, but crucially also allows for a much bigger player count in online games. Together, these capabilities made it a key piece of software for GTA Online's roleplay (RP) community.
At the time, fans hoped this heralded a bright new era for GTA RP. Then it all went quiet. But finally we're starting to see the fruits of that acquisition, and Rockstar itself is helping to promote it.
"Nopixel V is the next evolution of the GTAV Roleplay experience, created in collaboration with Rockstar Games," said the X announcement. "Coming soon to the Rockstar Games Launcher and other PC platforms—stay tuned for more information at nopixel.net."
"We’re excited to support the nopixel team as they create the future of GTA RP," said Rockstar, retweeting the above. What exactly Rockstar's support means is left ambiguous, but having nopixel V running through the Rockstar launcher feels huge.
Nopixel is based on the FiveM mod, and is also the name of a custom GTA RP server on which some big-time streamers play: the announcement video is mainly built around showing various avatar cards for the likes of Pokimane, Valkyrae and xQc, but also includes streamers known for their dedication to GTA RP.
There's no release date yet, but early invites can be had by signing up at nopixel.net.
Nopixel V represents the culmination of a Rockstar U-turn, after the company spent many years battling against the FiveM mod, describing it in 2015 as "an unauthorized alternate multiplayer service that contains code designed to facilitate piracy" while simultaneously banning three of its creators from Rockstar Social Club. There were even reports that Take-Two had sicced private investigators on one of the creators.
Rockstar's stance began to soften in 2022, as it somewhat belatedly realised that, actually, GTA RP was serving an enormous community and, in its own small way, was pointing towards one of the futures for platforms like GTA Online. Late that year Take-Two changed GTA Online's mod policy to allow non-commercial mods that don't mess with the official multiplayer or online services.
GTA RP is where some of the best stories I've heard about the game come from. PCG's Joe Donnelly is a big fan, and his adventures are legion: from trying to start a fight club on one server, to finding employment as a mob tailor, and becoming a lawyer for a serial killer. As Donnolly says, working a 9-5 RP job might well be the best way to enjoy GTA 5.
If you're interested in checking out the possibilities for yourself, here's our guide for how to get started in GTA's huge roleplaying scene.
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