A mod project aimed at bringing Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 5 to Nintendo Switch is being discontinued after its developer said they received a cease-and-desist notice from Take-Two Interactive, the game's rights holder.

The project, developed by Paralympics Productions, was reportedly approaching release, with the developer previously stating that the Switch version was expected to become available in the coming days. The project will now be permanently closed, with the developer announcing that development will end on October 3.

In a statement about the shutdown, the developer thanked supporters and apologized for not being able to complete the project. They also said they were complying with the cease-and-desist notice and indicated that no legal action had taken place at the time of the announcement.

The developer has also ruled out releasing the project's source code for others to continue development. Responding to requests from people interested in taking over the project, they said doing so could escalate the dispute into formal legal proceedings.

The shutdown follows a recent update to Rockstar's modding guidelines. The company's revised guidelines state that users must respect its games and prohibit modifications intended to make Rockstar titles operate on consoles or devices that the company does not officially support.Grand Theft Auto 5 has never been officially released for Nintendo Switch. The fan project was therefore attempting to bring the game to hardware that Rockstar has not supported for the title.The developer acknowledged the potential legal consequences of continuing the project, saying they did not intend to challenge Take-Two in court and believed the rights holder had strong grounds to pursue the matter.

The project will not be handed over to another developer, according to its creator, who described the shutdown as permanent.

Grand Theft Auto 5 remains unavailable on Nintendo Switch, while Rockstar's next major release, Grand Theft Auto 6, has not been announced for Nintendo's hardware. The game is currently expected on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, although reports have previously suggested Rockstar explored the possibility of bringing it to Nintendo Switch 2.