FiveM & GTA 6: What We Know, What Changes, and How to Prepare
With GTA 6 launching in late 2026, every FiveM server owner is asking: what happens next? Here's everything we know about FiveM's future, GTA 6 modding possibilities, and how to prepare your server.
GTA 6 is coming. Rockstar has confirmed a fall 2026 release window, and the entire FiveM community is watching closely. Server owners are making decisions, developers are hedging bets, and the forums are full of speculation ranging from "FiveM is dead" to "nothing will change."
Neither extreme is accurate.
This post covers everything we actually know about FiveM and GTA 6, what is speculation versus confirmed fact, and what you should be doing with your server right now. We will not waste your time with hype or doom — just the most honest assessment available based on what Rockstar, Cfx.re, and the broader modding community have signaled.
The Big Question: Will FiveM Work with GTA 6?
The short answer is no, not at launch.
FiveM is built specifically for GTA V. It hooks into GTA V's engine, memory, and scripting API at a deep level. You cannot swap out the underlying game and expect FiveM to continue functioning. The two are architecturally inseparable.
Think of it this way: FiveM is not a platform that runs on top of Rockstar games in general. It is a heavily customized runtime for one specific game. GTA 6 will have a fundamentally different engine, different scripting systems, and different memory layouts. The current FiveM codebase cannot simply point at GTA 6 and keep running.
This does not mean FiveM disappears when GTA 6 launches. It means FiveM, as it exists today, is a GTA V product.
What happens after that is where things get interesting — and where Rockstar's decisions over the past few years become very relevant.
What Rockstar Has Said About GTA 6 Modding
Rockstar has not issued a public statement saying "GTA 6 will support modding." They rarely do. But actions speak louder than press releases, and the actions of the past two years paint a clear picture.
The Cfx.re Acquisition (2023)
In April 2023, Rockstar Games acquired Cfx.re — the company behind FiveM and RedM. This was not a defensive acquisition to shut down modding. Rockstar could have pursued legal action years earlier if that were the goal. Instead, they chose to bring the team inside.
Cfx.re's core expertise is building modding infrastructure for GTA. That expertise does not become worthless when GTA 6 ships. The acquisition strongly implies Rockstar intends to use that team for future projects.
The Cfx Marketplace Launch (January 2026)
In January 2026, Rockstar launched the Cfx Marketplace — an official, curated platform for FiveM and RedM assets. This is a significant investment of engineering and infrastructure resources. Companies do not build multi-year revenue platforms for products they plan to abandon within twelve months.
The Cfx Marketplace also establishes a legitimate commercial ecosystem for mod creators. That ecosystem is designed to scale, not wind down.
Platform License Agreement
The Platform License Agreement governs how developers and server operators can monetize on FiveM. This is legal groundwork. You do not establish detailed IP licensing frameworks for dying platforms. The PLA reflects long-term thinking.
Take-Two CEO Statements on UGC
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has spoken publicly about the value of user-generated content in games. In multiple investor calls and interviews, he has pointed to UGC as a key driver of engagement and monetization for live-service games. GTA's modding community has generated enormous goodwill and player retention for GTA V well beyond what any DLC schedule could have achieved alone.
That is not the perspective of a company that wants to shut modding down.
Rockstar Hiring Signals
Rockstar has posted job listings for roles including game modding tools engineers and developer experience positions. These are long-lead hires — you staff these teams 18-24 months before you need them. The timing aligns with a post-launch modding infrastructure rollout for GTA 6.
None of this constitutes a confirmed announcement. But the pattern is clear. Rockstar is building toward official modding support for GTA 6, and the Cfx.re team is almost certainly part of that plan.
What Will Happen to FiveM When GTA 6 Launches?
There are three realistic scenarios, and the truth will probably involve elements of all three.
Scenario 1: FiveM Continues for GTA V (Most Likely)
This is the base case, and it is overwhelmingly likely to happen.
GTA V has sold over 200 million copies across a decade of releases. It is one of the best-selling entertainment products of all time. The FiveM community is not a footnote — it is a self-sustaining ecosystem with its own economy, content creators, server infrastructure, and dedicated player base.
The roleplay community in particular has its own culture and social gravity that does not evaporate because a new game releases. People have hundreds of hours in their characters, their servers, their communities. They are not going to abandon that overnight.
Historical precedent supports this. When GTA V launched in September 2013, GTA IV modding did not die. GTA IV mods continued to be created and played for years. The modding community expanded alongside the new release rather than migrating away entirely.
GTA V Online will also continue operating for years post-GTA 6 launch. Rockstar has proven with GTA Online that they can maintain aging titles as live services. FiveM benefits from every additional month GTA V stays relevant.
The most likely near-term outcome is a temporary player dip as attention shifts to GTA 6, followed by stabilization as the FiveM community finds its floor and continues. Servers that built strong communities will weather this. Servers that relied purely on passive traffic will struggle more.
Scenario 2: Cfx.re Builds a GTA 6 Equivalent (Highly Plausible)
Rockstar now owns both the GTA 6 engine and the team that built FiveM. The most logical long-term path is adapting the FiveM framework and technology for GTA 6's engine.
This would not be an immediate launch. A GTA 6 modding platform would realistically arrive six to twelve months after GTA 6 itself releases, once Rockstar's teams have had time to stabilize the base game and adapt the tools. FiveM did not launch on day one of GTA V either — it came two years later.
If this scenario plays out, server owners would eventually be able to expand their operations to GTA 6 while maintaining their GTA V servers. The framework ecosystem — scripts, resources, the developer community — would be positioned to migrate incrementally rather than restart from zero.
This is the scenario that smart server owners are quietly preparing for, not by waiting, but by building quality operations now that will be valuable regardless of which game they run on.
Scenario 3: Rockstar Builds Native Modding Into GTA 6
The games industry has shifted dramatically toward user-generated content. Fortnite Creative, Roblox, Dreams, and dozens of other platforms have demonstrated that UGC can become a primary driver of engagement and revenue.
GTA 6 could ship with built-in modding tools — something between what GTA V offered unofficially through FiveM and what platforms like Fortnite Creative provide officially. This is less likely at launch, as Rockstar's priority will be shipping the base game, but it is plausible as a post-launch addition.
If Rockstar integrates native modding deeply enough, it could work alongside or potentially replace third-party solutions over time. More likely, native tools would handle casual UGC while the Cfx.re-powered platform serves the serious roleplay and server operator community that demands deeper customization.
The Impact on the FiveM Community
Player migration from FiveM to GTA 6 will happen gradually, not overnight.
When GTA 6 launches, many FiveM players will buy GTA 6 and spend time exploring it. That is natural. But exploration is not the same as abandonment. Most players will have both games installed. They will return to FiveM for the specific experience it provides — deep roleplay, custom economies, server communities they belong to — that GTA 6's launch experience cannot replicate.
The roleplay community is unusually resilient to this kind of disruption. RP players are not chasing novelty. They are invested in stories, characters, relationships, and server cultures. That investment does not transfer to a new game automatically.
For server creators and script developers, skills are highly transferable. The Lua scripting knowledge, the understanding of how to build server-side economies, the experience managing player communities — none of that becomes worthless. If a GTA 6 modding platform emerges, the people who built FiveM servers will be the first ones building for it.
The modding economy will not collapse. It will evolve. The transition period between GTA V and GTA 6's modding ecosystem will create demand, not eliminate it. Servers that are well-positioned now will capture migration traffic from weaker servers, and eventually from early GTA 6 adopters who want more than the base game offers.
Content creators and streamers are a important factor here. The largest FiveM RP streamers have built audiences around specific server communities. Their viewers follow them, not the game. As long as those creators stay on FiveM, their audiences do too.
How to Prepare Your FiveM Server for the GTA 6 Era
The window before GTA 6 launches is an opportunity. Competition for players will be lower than it will be post-launch, when attention is fragmented. The servers that establish themselves now will have the strongest communities when the transition happens.
Here is how to use the time well.
Invest in Quality Over Quantity
The era of launching a generic QBCore server and picking up passive players is ending. As the player base consolidates around established servers, quality becomes the differentiator.
This means premium scripts, polished MLOs, a cohesive server theme, and a high-quality onboarding experience for new players. Players who stay with FiveM through a transition period are the most committed segment of the community. They know what good looks like, and they will not settle for mediocre.
Read our guides on the best pre-configured FiveM server packs and how to build a complete FiveM server if you are building or rebuilding your foundation. Browse the VertexMods shop for production-quality resources that distinguish serious servers from template clones.
Avoid the mistakes that undermine server quality before it has a chance to build. The 10 mistakes to avoid as a FiveM server owner covers the patterns that consistently kill servers before they find their audience.
Choose a Future-Proof Framework
If you are on ESX or an older QBCore build, now is a good time to evaluate a migration.
QBOX is the most modern framework available. It is built on current FiveM APIs, integrates with the OX ecosystem (ox_lib, ox_inventory, ox_target), and has a cleaner codebase that will be easier to maintain and eventually adapt. The developer community behind QBOX is active and forward-thinking.
The ESX vs QBCore vs QBOX comparison breaks down the technical differences in detail. The QBOX vs QBCore comparison is a good starting point if you are specifically deciding between those two.
Framework migrations are painful but worth the investment if you are planning to operate long-term. A server running on modern infrastructure is far easier to maintain, update, and eventually migrate to new platforms if that becomes relevant.
For a comprehensive overview of the framework ecosystem, the FiveM frameworks complete guide covers everything from ESX origins to the current state of the OX ecosystem. The FiveM Framework Guide landing page is also a good reference.
Build Your Community Now
Your Discord is your most valuable asset. More valuable than your scripts, more valuable than your MLOs, more valuable than your server infrastructure. A strong Discord community survives platform changes. Scripts can be replaced. Community cannot be easily replicated.
Invest in your Discord before GTA 6 launches. Build real engagement — event channels, lore channels, screenshot channels, staff applications, community votes. Create reasons for players to be in your Discord even when they are not playing. The more embedded they are in your community, the less likely they are to leave when GTA 6 creates noise.
Social media presence matters in the same way. Document your server on YouTube and TikTok. Highlight player stories, showcase your best roleplay moments, explain what makes your server's world unique. Audiences built around your content follow your content, not whatever platform you happen to be running on this month.
Strong communities have a gravitational effect. Players invite friends because they are proud of where they play. That organic referral engine is harder to build than any paid promotion, and it is far more durable.
The how to grow your FiveM server player base guide covers growth tactics in depth. For player acquisition strategies, how to advertise your FiveM server covers the channels that actually produce results.
Diversify Your Revenue
If your income depends entirely on one FiveM server in one game, you are exposed to platform risk that you can mitigate.
Consider RedM as a secondary offering. The Red Dead Redemption 2 roleplay community is smaller but highly dedicated, and it occupies a completely different niche than GTA V RP. Cfx Marketplace already supports RedM, and the developer tooling is the same. If you already have FiveM infrastructure expertise, RedM is a relatively low-overhead expansion.
Offer services beyond server access. Custom script development, server setup assistance, consultation for new server owners — these are revenue streams that exist regardless of which game is popular. Many experienced server operators have found that development services generate significant income alongside or independent of their own servers.
Build a brand that exists beyond a single game. A server brand with strong recognition, a developed visual identity, and a loyal community is portable in ways that raw player counts are not.
Keep Your Server Updated
This is basic but critical. Run the latest FiveM artifacts. Keep your framework and all dependencies current. Subscribe to Cfx.re's announcements and change logs.
Updates are not just about features — they are about security, compatibility, and maintaining access to the latest capabilities. Servers running outdated artifacts miss performance improvements and are more vulnerable to exploits.
Staying current also keeps you aware of the direction the platform is heading. When Cfx.re introduces new APIs or deprecates old patterns, you want to know early, not when something breaks in production.
Will GTA 6 Have Roleplay?
GTA Online has evolved significantly since its 2013 launch, and GTA Online 2.0 — whatever form it takes in GTA 6 — will likely include more social and creative features than its predecessor.
But here is the thing: official GTA Online will never offer what FiveM's custom server ecosystem does.
Custom FiveM servers offer complete control. Custom jobs, custom economies, custom legal systems, custom map additions, custom storylines, administrator-defined rules. The experience is tailored by people who are deeply invested in creating something specific.
Official GTA Online RP, if it ever exists, would necessarily be a lowest-common-denominator product. It would be designed for casual engagement, not the kind of immersive, community-driven roleplay that makes FiveM servers compelling to their most dedicated players.
Both can coexist. Casual players exploring GTA 6's social features will represent one market. Serious RP players wanting a curated, custom experience will represent another. These are not the same players making the same choice.
The history of GTA Online and FiveM is actually a good data point here. GTA Online received frequent DLC updates throughout GTA V's lifespan, yet FiveM grew consistently throughout that same period. The two serve different needs.
What About RedM?
RedM is worth taking seriously, and not just as a fallback.
The Red Dead Redemption 2 roleplay community has its own identity, its own player culture, and its own content creators. It is smaller than FiveM's, but highly engaged. Players who play RedM tend to be deeply invested in the setting and the experience it enables — frontier life, outlaw gangs, saloon culture, cattle ranching. That is a very different roleplay niche than GTA V's urban crime and modern life themes.
Cfx Marketplace already supports RedM assets alongside FiveM. The technical infrastructure is shared. If you are comfortable building for FiveM, you are most of the way to building for RedM.
RedM is not an either/or decision relative to FiveM. It is a genuine diversification option that can grow alongside your FiveM operation rather than replacing it. If GTA 6 disrupts the FiveM player market, RedM represents a stable alternative that is not affected by the same transition.
For more on how FiveM compares to other multiplayer mod frameworks, the FiveM vs RageMP vs alt:V breakdown covers the broader landscape. Note that alt:V is heading toward shutdown — an event that will likely push additional players toward FiveM in mid-2026.
Timeline: Key Dates to Watch
The next eighteen months will see several developments that affect the FiveM landscape directly. Here is the current timeline based on confirmed information and high-confidence projections.
| Date | Event | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | alt:V shutdown process begins | FiveM player consolidation begins |
| May 2026 | alt:V server list removed | Significant migration to FiveM |
| July 2026 | alt:V fully shuts down | FiveM is the dominant GTA V multiplayer platform |
| Fall 2026 | GTA 6 expected launch window | Community attention splits temporarily |
| Late 2026 | GTA 6 post-launch stabilization | Rockstar focus shifts to updates and live service |
| 2027+ | Potential GTA 6 modding tools rollout | New era for the Cfx.re ecosystem |
The alt:V shutdown deserves specific attention. alt:V has been FiveM's main competitor in the GTA V modding space. Its closure consolidates a player base that was already FiveM-adjacent. For more detail on what that means, the alt:V shutdown analysis covers the implications thoroughly.
The consolidation of former alt:V players into FiveM will temporarily boost the FiveM ecosystem heading into the GTA 6 launch window. This means the window between now and fall 2026 is one of the strongest growth periods FiveM has seen in years.
For context on how the Cfx Marketplace fits into this picture, the Cfx Marketplace explained guide covers how to use it effectively for your server.
Lessons from History: GTA IV to GTA V
Modding communities have faced this transition before.
When GTA V launched in September 2013, GTA IV was an active, thriving modding platform. LCPD:FR, OpenIV, and a dozen other popular modifications had built significant user bases. The reaction in 2013 was similar to the reaction today: concern about migration, questions about the future of the community, uncertainty about what the new game would support.
GTA IV modding did not die. It continued for years. OpenIV added GTA V support without abandoning GTA IV. Players who loved GTA IV's Liberty City setting continued to mod and play it. The communities were separate but both persisted.
FiveM itself launched in 2015 — two years after GTA V released. The community had time to discover what GTA V Online was and was not, and what space existed for custom multiplayer. FiveM filled that space. The delay between GTA V's release and FiveM's emergence suggests that the best modding solutions often arrive after the initial launch excitement fades.
If history repeats, whatever comes for GTA 6 modding will not arrive at launch. It will arrive when the community has identified the gaps that custom tools can fill. The people who are building their FiveM expertise now are the people who will be first movers when GTA 6's modding ecosystem matures.
New games do not kill modding communities. They expand them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I stop investing in my FiveM server?
Absolutely not. FiveM will remain a thriving platform for years regardless of GTA 6's launch. The community is too large, too established, and too self-sustaining to disappear because a new game releases. The servers making meaningful investment decisions now will be the ones with strong communities when the dust settles. If anything, the pre-GTA 6 window is an ideal time to build — competition for established player bases will intensify post-launch.
Will my FiveM scripts work in GTA 6?
No. GTA 6 has a different engine, a different scripting API, and different memory architecture. Scripts written for GTA V's Lua environment targeting FiveM's NativeUI and CFX APIs will not run natively on GTA 6. If and when a GTA 6 modding platform emerges, developers will need to port or rewrite resources for the new environment. That said, the Lua language skills, server architecture understanding, and game scripting concepts transfer directly. The learning curve for experienced FiveM developers will be far shorter than starting from scratch.
Is FiveM dying?
No. FiveM has never been more popular. Server counts, player counts, and the launch of the Cfx Marketplace all indicate a platform at the height of its adoption, not in decline. The question of GTA 6 is about the long-term trajectory of the platform, not about its current health. The history of FiveM shows consistent growth over nearly a decade — that does not reverse overnight.
When will GTA 6 support mods?
Nobody can say with certainty. Rockstar has not made a public commitment to a specific modding timeline for GTA 6. Based on the Cfx.re acquisition, the hiring signals, and the investment in the Cfx Marketplace, we believe official or semi-official modding support will arrive within six to eighteen months of GTA 6's launch — but that is informed speculation, not confirmed fact. It is also possible that modding support arrives later, or takes a different form than what the FiveM community expects.
Will there be a "SixM" or FiveM for GTA 6?
While no official announcement exists, Rockstar's ownership of Cfx.re makes it the most logical path. The team that built FiveM now works for Rockstar. The technology, the expertise, and the infrastructure are all in-house. The most probable scenario is that Cfx.re adapts its platform for GTA 6's engine under Rockstar's direction, resulting in something functionally similar to FiveM but built for the new game. Whether it carries the FiveM branding or a new name is unknown.
Should I switch to QBOX now to be future-proof?
QBOX is the most modern framework available and a solid choice for any server planning to operate long-term. Its architecture is cleaner than ESX and it integrates with the OX ecosystem that represents the current direction of FiveM development. That said, "future-proof" in this context means prepared for continued FiveM development, not guaranteed compatibility with whatever GTA 6 modding looks like. No framework migration guarantees an easier transition to a GTA 6 platform, because that platform does not exist yet. Migrate to QBOX if it makes your current server better, not solely because of GTA 6.
Our Take: FiveM Isn't Going Anywhere
After everything — the acquisition, the Marketplace, the hiring patterns, the alt:V consolidation, the historical precedent — our honest assessment is this:
FiveM's community is too large, too invested, and too self-sustaining to collapse because GTA 6 launches. The roleplay ecosystem has social gravity that does not transfer to new platforms just because new platforms exist.
GTA 6 will eventually get modding support. Rockstar has made that clear through its actions even without making it explicit in public statements. Whether that arrives six months after launch or two years later, the Cfx.re team is the obvious choice to build it.
Smart server owners are not waiting to see what happens. They are building quality operations now, growing their communities, and positioning themselves to be the established names when both the FiveM player consolidation (from alt:V's shutdown) and the eventual GTA 6 modding ecosystem create new opportunities.
The best time to establish your server was two years ago. The second-best time is now — before GTA 6 launches, before competition intensifies, before the window closes.
If you are ready to build something worth playing, browse the VertexMods shop for the resources that distinguish serious servers from template copies. For setup guidance, the FiveM server complete guide and the FiveM Server Setup landing page are the places to start.
The era of FiveM is not ending. It is entering its most interesting chapter.
