ScriptHookVDotNet is the bridge that lets you write GTA V mods in C# or any other .NET language instead of raw C++. Most of the singleplayer mods you have installed over the years depend on this one project.

What is scripthookvdotnet?
An ASI plugin for Grand Theft Auto V, which allows running scripts written in any .NET language on the .NET Framework runtime in-game.

This is an ASI plugin for Grand Theft Auto V, based on the C++ ScriptHook by Alexander Blade, which allows running scripts written in any .NET language in-game. The issues page should be primarily used for bug reports and focused enhancement ideas. Questions related to GTA V scripting in general, are better off on the Discussions page or in forums dedicated to this purpose. Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (Latest supported v14, not v14.0) The stable builds can be downloaded from the Releases page. You need to use the ASI file and the DLL files for APIs in an archive of the same version as the internal structure can be changed without notice. If you are using the game version v1.0.3258.0 or later and installing SHVDN as a user, use the nightly version v3.6.0-nightly.89 or later (see below for nightly version details), or downgrade the game to v1.0.3179.0 or earlier! v3.6.0 and v3.5.1 have a compatibility issue with the game version v1.0.3258.0 and later game versions! For script developers: you should build your scripts against stable versions rather than nightly ones unless you acknowledge that public features that aren't in stable versions can get breaking changes.

The facts, straight from GitHub

• Repository: scripthookvdotnet/scripthookvdotnet
  
• 1,343 stars and 633 forks, with 43 open issues
  
• Written mainly in C#
  
• Licensed under Zlib
  
• Started in 2015, last updated 2026-07-14
  

QBCore is one of the most widely used roleplay framework cores for FiveM servers. If you are planning an RP server and do not want to build inventory, jobs and player management from zero, this is one of the two big ecosystems to consider.

What is qb-core?
FiveM RP Framework Core :muscle:

Copyright © 2015-2022 ESX (Jérémie N'gadi), Joshua Eger This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License

The facts, straight from GitHub

• Repository: qbcore-framework/qb-core
  
• 731 stars and 987 forks, with 2 open issues
  
• Written mainly in Lua
  
• Licensed under GPL-3.0
  
• Started in 2021, last updated 2026-06-17
  

This repository is a goldmine for GTA V modders: complete data dumps of vehicles, peds, weapons, natives, clothes and much more, kept up to date across game updates. Instead of reverse engineering the game files yourself, you just look it up here.

What is gta-v-data-dumps?
GTA V Data dumps useful for modding & scripting

This is a collection of various GTA V data dumps mostly useful for modding & scripting. All of these are auto generated and some are enhanced with data from my GTA V researches.

The facts, straight from GitHub

• Repository: DurtyFree/gta-v-data-dumps
  
• 999 stars and 319 forks, with 18 open issues
  
• Written mainly in mixed languages
  
• No standard license declared
  
• Started in 2020, last updated 2026-06-09
  

FiveM needs no introduction if you have ever touched GTA V multiplayer outside of Rockstar's own servers. This is the actual source code of the Cfx.re framework that powers FiveM and RedM, the platform behind tens of thousands of custom roleplay and freeroam servers.

What is fivem?
The source code for the Cfx.re modification frameworks, such as FiveM and RedM, as well as FXServer.

This repository contains the code for the Cfx.re projects, among which are the following: FiveM, a dual-purpose (SP/MP) modification framework for the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V as released by Rockstar Games. RedM, a modification framework for the PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2 as released by Rockstar Games. FXServer, the server component for multiplayer services on the Cfx.re projects. On the multiplayer aspect, the GTA/RAGE modifications differ from other similar modifications by utilizing the embedded game networking frameworks, building a modification framework around them, and expanding the game's functionality on an end-to-end level, directly binding to the RAGE Technology Group's base frameworks and Rockstar North's GTA codebase. To play FiveM, simply download the launcher binaries from the website. To develop FiveM, please follow the documentation in docs/ in the repository. FiveM is licensed under a dual license, details of which are in the code/LICENSE file in the repository.

The facts, straight from GitHub

• Repository: citizenfx/fivem
  
• 4,190 stars and 2,683 forks, with 814 open issues
  
• Written mainly in C++
  
• No standard license declared
  
• Started in 2017, last updated 2026-07-14
  

Best current estimate: late July to mid-August 2026. Not confirmed by Rockstar — that's the projection based on their own history.

The reasoning, for those who want it:

• Trailer 1 dropped December 2023, Trailer 2 in May 2025. Rockstar paces these things around business milestones.
  
• Pre-orders went live June 25 without a new trailer, which surprised a lot of people (me included — I genuinely expected a same-day drop).
  
• For RDR2, the final big trailer landed about 3 months before launch. Same math here points at August-ish.
  

Setting up a fresh SA modding install? This is the foundation load order, battle-tested:

The non-negotiables

1. SilentPatch — before anything else. Bugfixes for everything modern Windows breaks.
   
2. ThirteenAG's Widescreen Fix — proper aspect ratio, clean HUD.
   
3. SkyGfx — restores the PS2-era graphics effects the PC port lost (the orange PS2 sky is a religion in this community, and SkyGfx is its church).
   
4. CLEO 5 — the script engine half the mod catalog depends on.
   
5. ModLoader — install mods by dropping folders in, remove by deleting. No more overwriting game files like a caveman.
   

• Things To Do In San Andreas — massive side content pack
  
• Improved Vehicle Features — turn signals, working dashboards
  
• Project2DFX — draw-distance lights that make night driving gorgeous
  

Fresh install of San Andreas running at 900 mph with broken audio on Windows 11? Here's the fix order that works:

The 5-minute fix list

1. Install SilentPatch — the single most important download for any classic GTA. Fixes dozens of bugs, frame-rate issues, and modern-Windows crashes. If you install exactly one thing, it's this.
   
2. Cap the frame rate / keep Frame Limiter ON — the game's physics are tied to FPS. Uncapped = swimming breaks, cars handle wrong, missions glitch. 30 FPS is authentic; SilentPatch makes higher framerates safer but the limiter exists for a reason.
   
3. Widescreen fix — ThirteenAG's widescreen fix gives proper 16:9/21:9 without stretched HUD.
   
4. Run as administrator, and don't install into Program Files — half the classic "settings won't save" complaints come from Windows folder permissions.
   
5. Audio crackling: set your Windows output to 44100 Hz (Sound settings → device properties → Advanced), it's an old DirectSound game.
   

Starting GTA Online in 2026 is intimidating — a decade of content gets dumped on you at once. Here's the path that skips the suffering:

First session

1. Do the intro/tutorial missions until the game sets you loose
   
2. Play a few of Lamar's missions and early contact missions for starter cash
   
3. Don't buy ANY vehicle yet. Your starter cash matters more elsewhere.
   

• Play in an Invite Only session while grinding — griefers can't touch you there, and almost everything works in solo lobbies now
  
• Never buy shark cards out of frustration; buy setup-unlocking properties in the right order instead (Kosatka → Agency → Nightclub)
  
• The Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack (often bundled/free) gives a decent property head start if you have it
  
• Armor and snacks are in the Interaction Menu. Use them. Everyone forgets.
  

New to GTA modding and confused why every guide namedrops five different tools? Here's the map of what does what:

GTA 5

• OpenIV — opens/edits the game archives (.rpf). The gateway tool. Its mods-folder system keeps vanilla files safe.
  
• Script Hook V — lets native script mods (.asi) run. Foundation for most gameplay mods.
  
• ScriptHookVDotNet — same job for C#/.NET mods.
  
• LML (Lenny's Mod Loader) — clean mod management, big in the RDR2 world too.
  
• Codewalker — 3D map viewer/editor, the serious mapmaker's tool.
  

• SilentPatch — the universal bugfix layer, install always
  
• CLEO — script engine for thousands of mods
  
• ModLoader — drag-and-drop mod management for SA
  
• IMG Tool / Mod Manager — mostly legacy now, ModLoader replaced the workflow
  

Honest answer: for most people in 2026, the Definitive Edition is now the easier recommendation — years of patches fixed the worst of that launch disaster. For purists and modders, classic + fan patches is still the better game.

Play Definitive if: you want it to just work on modern hardware/consoles, with checkpoints, better controls, and the GTA 5-style weapon wheel. The rain still looks wrong, but it's playable and convenient.

Play classic if: you care about the original fog-soaked atmosphere (a huge part of GTA 3's identity, honestly), you want mods, or you're on PC and comfortable installing SilentPatch + a widescreen fix. The original art direction was moody on purpose; DE's bright lighting flattens it.

My setup: classic with SilentPatch, widescreen fix, and nothing else. Takes 10 minutes and it plays like your memory of it instead of like 2001 hardware.

Fun fact for the young ones: GTA 3 came out October 2001, invented the 3D open-world crime genre more or less by itself, and its map fits inside roughly one GTA 5 neighborhood. Respect your elders.