Grand Theft Auto 5 briefly became playable in a web browser

Grand Theft Auto 5 briefly appeared as a playable game in a web browser before being taken down, according to a report from IGN.

The outlet says footage circulated online showing the Rockstar title running in Chrome. The site hosting the experience has since been pulled, and IGN notes there are claims that Cloudflare was involved in shutting it down.

This follows a recent trend of AI-assembled games appearing online. Last week, Bethesda issued a cease and desist for an AI-generated Fallout fan project that was also browser-based. IGN suggests the GTA 5 build was likely created using similar AI methods.

IGN also points out that an original Xbox version of Halo: Combat Evolved recently became playable in a browser, though that was an emulation of the actual game, not an AI clone.

The report raises questions about how publishers like Rockstar and Take-Two will police these unauthorized versions, especially with the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6. AI is dramatically speeding up the process of reverse-engineering and redistributing games, potentially threatening traditional commercial models.