Rockstar Killing FiveM from the Inside, and It's All for Project Rome

When Rockstar acquired the developers behind FiveM and RedM—in August 2023, many in the community saw a silver lining. At last, the underground powerhouse that had redefined Grand Theft Auto roleplay was legitimized. Resources would flow. Stability would follow. A new era was expected to begin.

But something else began instead. FiveM is no longer a strong part of Rockstar's environment; it's just a weak, empty shell of what it used to be. On top of the constant changes and running servers is a framework that is falling apart, with bugs, security holes, and an unsettling lack of communication from its new owners.

Security is the main problem. And not theoretical holes or attacks that only work in certain situations. According to multiple security researchers and former developers, the current state of FiveM presents an open door—one that allows malicious servers to silently inject malware into unsuspecting users' systems.

The root cause is Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF), the internal browser FiveM uses to power its UI. Still operating on version 103 from mid-2022, it lags a staggering 36 major versions behind the current release of Chromium (version 139 as of April 2025).

In that gap lies a minefield. Dozens of known vulnerabilities—remote code execution bugs, privilege escalation flaws, and memory corruption exploits—have been patched by Google but remain live inside FiveM. Some of these bugs allow attackers to break free from the browser's sandbox and execute code silently, no user input required. Just joining a malicious server is enough.

And yet, the response from FiveM's current leadership has been alarmingly dismissive. When confronted with the issue, one lead developer—known in the community as "Tuxic"—reportedly responded, "The whole NUI thing is a big mess, so it is not worth it."

This isn't just technical debt. It's a risk vector affecting every player, every session.

Behind this, there's a deeper story—one of internal purges and quiet replacement. By late 2023, every member of FiveM's original development team had either resigned or been removed. In their place, Rockstar onboarded former contributors, who are FiveM's longstanding rival. Developers with limited understanding of FiveM's architecture were granted full commit access to the codebase without onboarding, training, or historical context.

Regression followed. Updates became unstable. Untested merges broke major features. Internal communication deteriorated into toxicity and silence. Former contributors describe a hostile takeover masked as restructuring. They weren't just sidelined—they were erased.

Security, however, isn't the only system falling apart.

Many people are now taking advantage of the asset escrow system, which was made to protect content authors and make money from paid content. It is possible to eavesdrop or guess encrypted resource URLs, which lets people who aren't supposed to be there download and share paid content without being caught. Even though these flaws were pointed out in 2022, the regulation is still very weak. Cracked resources—some bundled with malware—are now openly traded on black market forums.

Content creators, who once believed escrow would offer them protection and revenue, now find themselves stranded. Support tickets go unanswered. Payments are processed, but piracy runs unchecked. And Rockstar, who takes a 20% cut from escrow sales, has yet to issue a formal statement.

Why would a company with Rockstar's resources allow this kind of collapse?

The answer is hiding in plain sight.

Insiders suggest that what's happening to FiveM isn't accidental. It's deliberate. A slow-motion replacement strategy. The pieces point to Project Rome, Rockstar's rumored official modding and multiplayer platform for GTA VI. Built internally, Rome is said to replicate FiveM's core functionality but with one key difference: total corporate control.

Rome has reportedly been in development since before the acquisition. Trusted FiveM networks like NoPixel and Complexo are rumored to be quietly collaborating with Rockstar on early migration plans. According to internal documents, Rockstar is preparing to offer selected partners early access to Rome's tooling—while the rest of FiveM fades into disrepair.

Further aligning these efforts is Twitch. Mike Minton, Twitch's Chief Monetization Officer, has publicly confirmed an ongoing partnership with Rockstar and Take-Two, centered around GTA VI. Discussions include Twitch-integrated roleplay servers, drops, and long-term monetization strategies. These initiatives point to a centralized, polished, and fully monetized experience that Rome—not FiveM—will power.

In this light, FiveM's collapse doesn't look like a failure. It looks like phase one.

Strip the legacy. Replace the developers. Let systems degrade just enough to sow frustration, but not enough to trigger alarm. Then unveil the "solution" built in-house—clean, secure, and officially sanctioned. Controlled demolition, disguised as market evolution.

As FiveM's future fades into uncertainty, its legacy now feels like a blueprint being overwritten. The community that once built its own world in Rockstar's shadow may soon find itself invited inside—but only through the front door, under new rules, and for a price.

What was once freedom is becoming infrastructure.

And infrastructure always comes with conditions.