Rockstar Games Killed Midnight Club 5 Because It Wasn't as Big as GTA, Ex-Designer Claims

An ex-Rockstar Games designer says the studio killed Midnight Club 5 because it wasn’t big enough compared with Grand Theft Auto. In an interview with Insider Gaming, former Rockstar senior designer Kris Roberts—who worked on the series at Rockstar San Diego, home to Rockstar’s arcade racing franchise and the first Red Dead Redemption—said a fifth Midnight Club was in early development after Midnight Club: Los Angeles, with prototypes for new locations including London. Roberts adds that development was halted during the production phase due to a “non-trivial conflict” between Rockstar San Diego and Rockstar New York. He also claims the perception inside the company was, essentially, “you’re not GTA,” despite fans’ belief the game kept players more engaged than rivals like Need for Speed and Burnout.